Lotus Reborn
by Peacewish
Summary: This one will be neglected no more. This is her shot, her opportunity to shine. It's time for Meilin to rise above.
1. ch1 taken

_The lotus is portrayed by the cultures of many lands as a symbol of purity. _ _Arising from the mud, it inspires all who see it. _ _In poems, paintings, sculptures, and legends from __China__, __India__, __Egypt__, the lotus inspires mankind to follow its example to open up to beauty and light. _ _Out of the muck the lotus springs forth pure and beautiful._

***********************

**Chapter 1**

**'taken'**

There were a lot of good things about spring vacation.  For starters, the sheer lack of school was nice, even if there was homework.  But Li had finished that weeks earlier and it was of no concern to him.  The warming weather was a plus, too.  The cherry trees were on the verge of blooming, and he looked forward to that.  Cherry trees were probably the most beautiful part of the scenery here in Japan.  

But the part of vacation that Li loved the most was this right here.  He pressed Sakura a little more against the cushions at the end of the couch and kissed her again, this time more aggressively.  She did not hold back or feign a struggle, but wrapped her arms around and pulled him close until not a molecule of air remained between them.  He loved vacation because it meant he was with Sakura, and there was nothing at all to distract him from a session like this.  Not class, not homework, not her brother… and not even that damn phone, still ringing like there was no tomorrow.

"I really think you should get that," she whispered, after he'd finally pulled away and began to plant a line of kisses down her neck.

"Not a chance."

"But it's been ringing for five minutes, Syaoran.  It really might be important."

"How could it be anything important?  Nothing's happened in this town for months."  That was true, life in Tomoeda had been absurdly quiet lately.  Sakura demurred and let Li began to slide his hands under her light sweater.  

The phone stopped ringing at that point, and Li exhaled in relief as he pulled it over her head.  But he'd hardly begun to go lower before it started ringing again.

"Damn it!"

"Maybe you should get it."

"It's probably just your brother calling to see if you're here."

"Could be," she acknowledged, and decided to concentrate on lipping each of his fingers gently, then dropping a tiny kiss on his palm.  He sucked in his breath and started to lean over her again.  But it was becoming harder and harder to concentrate with that damn shrill noise in the background.

"I need to take care of this," he finally grunted.  She sighed and dropped her head back against the cushion as he clambered half off the couch to reach the phone, then resettled himself on top of her.

"What?" he said irritably.  "Oh.  Hi Mother."

The resigned look on his face was too funny, and it was all Sakura could do to not laugh out loud right there and then.  Instead she settled for stroking his scruffy hair back from his face, which made him squirm.

"Look, I'm kinda busy at the moment-  What?  What about her?"  He listened for a moment, then abruptly sat up.  He was putting undue pressure on Sakura's legs like this, but she knew better than to complain.  Something was wrong, she could see it in his eyes.

"What?  You can't be serious- this can't be right!  It's impossible!"

"What?" Sakura mouthed, but he wasn't paying any attention to her.  All of his focus was on the phone.

"Are you sure?  For how long?"  Whatever answer he got was clearly bad news, and his face began to lose color.  "And no word?  Right, I'll be right there."

And with that he hung up and stood.

"What?" Sakura finally asked.  

"She's gone."

"Who's gone?"

"Meilin," he choked.  "She hasn't come home for a day now.  She's missing."

It took a second for his words to register, and then Sakura's hand flew to her mouth in shock.

"How?  What?  No word at all?"

He shook his head stiffly.  Shock was giving way to horror for Sakura, and she could see it was in his eyes too.

"Who would do this?  Who could take Meilin?"

"I don't know.  But that's why I'm going back home."  He gave a throaty snarl and let fly with the phone, and Sakura jumped when it crashed against the far wall of the room.  He paid no attention to the mess, but stalked out of the room.  She had to hurry to catch up, pulling her shirt back on over her head.

"But she's so strong," she said plaintively.  "And such an incredible fighter.  It seems so unbelievable.  Has there been a ransom note?  Maybe they're after some money…"

He was shaking his head at every statement as he pulled a duffel bag out of his closet and started throwing things in it.

"I don't know.  But she went out yesterday and she didn't come back, and that's enough for me.  I have to get there tonight.  Whoever did it, I'll find them."

He raked his hand through his unruly bangs, pushing them out of his eyes as he looked around.

"Passport?  Where the hell did I put that thing?"  

He shut the top drawer of his dresser with a slam – right on his hand.

"Ouch!"  He yanked out his red hand and waved it in the air before delivering a swift kick at the dresser.  "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

"Syaoran."  Sakura took his hand in hers and kissed it lightly.  "Your face is white.  You've got to calm down.  You can find her, I know it.  But you've got to take a deep breath."

He nodded and took a shaky breath.

"It's just… she's my cousin… she's always been there…"

"I know.  It's going to be okay.  You're going to find her."

"I have to get there tonight."

"I know.  I'm coming with you."

That took Li by surprise, and he gave her a startled glance.

"She's one of my best friends, Syaoran, of course I'm coming.  I won't let you do this on your own."

He was taken aback, but realized he should have expected this.  Of course Sakura would want to help.  

"Thank you."  He gripped her in a sudden hug, then resumed searching for his passport.

Two hours later, two seats had been booked on the 9:15 flight to Hong Kong, Sakura had explained everything as best she could to her father, and she was throwing whatever she could find into her bag.

"Sakura, are you ready yet?"  Li fretted in her doorway, pacing back and forth.  "We've only got an hour until the plane takes off."

"I know, I know.  I'm going as fast as I can.  If I don't pack any snacks, Kero-chan will fuss over the flight."

"And who says _he's_ coming?"

"Hey!" Kero interjected.

"Of course Kero-chan is coming," Sakura said placidly.  "He can help."

Li's eyebrows went straight up.

"How, exactly?"

"He can fly overhead and scout, or something."  Sakura was taking out the Cards now, leafing through them absentmindedly before tucking them into a side pocket.  

"Oh sure.  He can fly overhead to look for a girl with dark hair in a city full of people with dark hair.  And of course she'll just be wandering around, after being kidnapped."

"Please don't be like that, Syaoran.  I'm sure he can help somehow.  I can't exactly leave him behind in the house."

"I don't see why not."

"But I wanna come," Kero grouched.  "I wanna see Hong Kong again!"

"Kero-chan, this is not a vacation.  It's an emergency, Meilin's in danger."

"I know, I know," he sniffed.  "Relax.  I can help you find the brat, no sweat."

"What was that?"  Kero gave a strangled choking noise as Li grasped him firmly around the throat and lifted him.  "What did you say?"

"I said I can help you find the -"

"Meilin," Li said coldly, giving a slight squeeze.  "Her name is Meilin."

Kero's face had gone white under his golden fur, and Sakura bit her lip worriedly.  Li had not bothered to correct Kero's spiteful nicknames for years, both he and Meilin seemed to have accepted that they would be 'kid' and 'brat' forever.  But Li had clearly been pushed over the edge with worry.

"I know…"

"Syaoran, I'm ready."  Sakura held her bag out.  "Put him in, and let's go."

Li ground his teeth, then stuffed Kero unceremoniously into Sakura's purse.

"Hey!"

"Quiet, Kero-chan."  She snapped it closed and then shouldered her travel bag.  "I'm ready.  Let's go."  

"Finally."  He strode out of the room at a brisk pace.  "We've got just enough time to get to the airport, so there better not be anymore -"

He broke off as they reached the first floor, and scowled.

"Damn."

Touya crossed his arms and returned the look.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"There's no time for this, Onii-chan.  We're in a rush."  Sakura tried to brush past him, but he promptly pinned her to the wall with one hand.  "Onii-chan!  Let go!  What are you even doing here, you don't live here anymore!"

"Dad just called and told me what was going on.  I can't believe you think you're actually going to run off to Hong Kong with him!"

"Touya-kun, we're in a hurry.  You let go of her right now or -"

"Or what?"

Sakura knew how dangerous Li was right then, and hastily she placed a hand over her brother's arm.

"There's no time for this, Onii-chan.  This really is an emergency.  Meilin is missing!"

"So let the cops take care of it."

"Onii-chan!  She's his cousin, he has to go!  She's probably been kidnapped for ransom, you know how much money they have."

"I'm not stopping him from going.  It's you I'm worried about."

Li looked at his watch and growled impatiently.

"We'll be at his mother's house!  You stayed there the night once, remember?  Trust me, it will all be supervised and chaperoned."

"Not enough.  You are just sixteen years old, missy, way too young to be running off to another country with your degenerate boyfriend!"

"Hey!"

"Onii-chan, I don't know if you've ever noticed this or not, but…"  Sakura took a deep breath and leaned in close, toward her brother's ear.  "YOU ARE NOT DAD!"

"Ouch!"  Reflexively he pulled away and covered his ears.  

"He said I could go.  And I'm going.  I'll be back as soon as I can.  And I'll call when we arrive, okay?"  She wasn't giving him any time to argue but heading for the front door.  

"Hey, get back here!  We're not through here!"  Touya went after her, but found Li in his path, crossing his arms defiantly and lifting up his chin.

"Get out of my way."

"Touya-kun, listen to me."  Touya hesitated.  The typical expression of aggression and hostility that he always saw on Li's face was no longer there, and instead there was a deep and gnawing anxiety.  "I know how much you love your sister."

"Well, I -"

"I love my cousin the same way too.  See?  And picture yourself if you ever found out that Sakura had disappeared without a trace."

Touya shuffled and looked away.

"I am very worried, Touya-kun.  I won't be able to sleep until I get to Hong Kong and figure out what happened, and see her safe and sound again.  Your sister is very powerful, you know it and I know it.  I want her help.  She wants to help.  So will you stand in our way?"

"Syaoran!" Sakura called from the front porch.  "Tomoyo's here!  Come on!"

"Will you?" Li repeated, and Touya felt his shoulders sag.

"I guess not," he muttered.

"Good.  We're off then."  Li turned around and walked briskly toward the door, followed closely by the older man.  

"But nothing better happen to her this time!  And she better be back here soon, I mean it."

"She will be.  I hope."

They reached the porch.  Tomoyo was parked in the driveway, waving.  Sakura picked up her bag and prepared to walk away, but Touya snagged her shirt just in time.

"Onii-chan, I mean it -"

"I know.  Just give me a hug, okay?"  Surprised, Sakura obeyed, and he clutched her tightly before releasing.

"You better be back here before your birthday," he warned, and she nodded.

"I'm sure I will, Onii-chan."

"And call as soon as you get to his place, all right?  Not just here, Yuki's place too.  I won't go to sleep until you call."

"I know.  I'll call."  She backed away, towards the waiting car.

"And be safe!  Don't do anything dangerous!"

"Trust me!" she called out before sliding into the rear seat.  Touya winced a little at that, but he'd already realized that there was no way he could keep her forcibly from going.  So he resigned himself to waving before the BMW pulled out and turned in the street.

Nothing better happen to her, kid.  Or you will pay absolute hell.

He grunted and went back inside.

Li shivered slightly, and Sakura gripped his hand.

"It'll be okay, Syaoran.  We're going to make it in plenty of time."

"I know.  Just a final parting message from your brother."  He squeezed her hand slightly and glanced over at their driver.  She was worried too, he could see, biting her lip and looking even more pale than usual.

"Thanks for the ride, Tomoyo.  You're a lifesaver."  She nodded.

"I only wish I could come too.  But there's just no way I can leave my group to finish up the film project before school starts again.  They need me."

"It's okay, I understand."

"But if you two haven't found her by the time I'm done, I'll hop the first flight I can and get down there."

"It's okay, Tomoyo," Sakura answered.  "I'm sure we'll find her in no time.  Between the three of us and the Cards, we'll track them down somehow.  There has to be some kind of clue, something."

There was only silence in the car at that, and she swallowed.

"I mean, she's far too good a fighter to have been overcome by any random attacker, so whoever did it obviously wants something from the Lis.  There'll be a note.  Or something."

Li was staring straight ahead through the windshield.

"Yeah," he forced himself to say when the quiet got awkward.  "Something.  We'll find her."

Sakura couldn't exactly see his face, as he was sitting in front of her and looking rigidly forward.  But she could feel his grip on her hand tightening, until it was so hard that she had to bite her lip in pain.  She did not struggle or pull away.  She knew he was picturing whomever could have overcome her, and that it was not pleasant.

What if it was something even more than a kidnapping?  Meilin had no magic to protect herself if anything of that ilk chose to attack her.  What if…

No.  Sakura shook her head.  There was no point in imagining horrors that weren't necessarily true.  All they could do was get there as fast as possible and figure out what happened.  It was as much as any of them could do right then.

Even a sorceress could only do so much.

*24 hours earlier*

"Eat," Eric tried again, squinting to read the translation in the dim light.  The florescent sign overhead was on its last legs, and emitted a fitful light into the darkness.  "Dinner?  You know, food?"

The local standing in front of him looked as though he didn't understand any of the known languages on planet Earth, let alone Cantonese or English.  Hopefully he held his hand up to his mouth in an approximation of someone eating a hamburger.  Not that there were any hamburger joints nearby, but the symbolism should be understood.  "Come on, give me a break.  I'm lost and I'm starving."

The lumpy man just shook his head in confusion and wandered away.  

"Yeah, well same to you, pal," Eric called out at his back, then groaned out loud.  Stupid city.  It really wasn't Hong Kong's fault that he was stuck here, in this particular situation, but it was hard not to hate it all the same.  It seemed things just kept getting worse and worse, and now he was lost.

Lost in a neighborhood where apparently no one needs to eat, and spoken communication is still in the works, evolution-wise.  This damn guide definitely needs to be updated.

He stuffed it back in his backpack and began to shuffle down the sidewalk.  Things were oddly quiet, in this remote part of the city, without the crowds that he'd become accustomed to.  Perhaps they were all afraid it was going to rain.  The stars had disappeared from overhead, those few that could be seen with the city's bright lights, and now he thought he could feel a little moisture on his face.  Like a misty fog, drawing a curtain down over the sounds and smells of Hong Kong.

It was pleasant, but it could get worse soon.  He needed to find a hostel or a student boarding house, but for the moment there was no rush.  

"Nice weather, huh?" he muttered to a prostitute standing on the corner.  "Got a light?"

She looked up in surprise and said nothing.  Of course.  He rolled his eyes as he pulled a cigarette out and stuck it between his lips.  "That's all right.  I think I've got one somewhere.  Just trying to make conversation.  But I keep forgetting you can't do that around here."

She continued to stare at him silently, looking a little nonplussed that someone would be standing there and talking to her.  

"You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?  Well, that's all right.  I know it's my fault.  The ugly American tourist, yadda, yadda, yadda."  At last he unearthed a lighter and put his cigarette to the flame.  After a grateful deep breath, he exhaled the smoke out into the misty night. 

"I have been trying, you know.  But Cantonese is tricky stuff.  And I've only been here for three days.  Hong Kong was definitely more intense than I was expecting.  That's good.  And it's not as communist as I thought it would be.  That's good too.  But now I'm sort of stuck here, and that's not so good.  And I'm a little grouchy about the whole thing.  You would be too, if you understood what the hell I was talking about."  

He exhaled again and gave her a leisurely glance.  He was beginning to wonder if he was correct in assuming she was a prostitute.  She was still standing there, watching him, and hadn't approached him or anything.  Plus she was dressed a little more conservatively than most were, in black jeans and a sleeveless red top.  It did nothing to distract from her body though.  Nice slim legs.  He always did like a good pair of legs.

She cleared her throat a little as he continued to ogle, and hastily he looked back up at her face again.

No, definitely not a prostitute.  But he couldn't guess what she might be, then.  It was impossible to determine her age, though her face seemed youthful enough.  It was just that her gaze was so cool and level-headed. 

"Sorry," he said, not wanting to bother digging out the phrasebook again.  As if he could read anything in this light.  "I'm just on rebound.  You know what that means?  No?  Well, it's when you spend years in high school and college bouncing from girl to girl and never really feeling 'it' with any of them, and then you settle down into a relationship with a girl.  And she's got wit, intelligence, and gorgeous blue eyes that make you want to drop to the floor and beg for mercy.  And you think that she really is the one, and that you're going to be together forever, and just before you make up your mind to propose to her, you walk into the apartment you share and discover that she's in bed with your accounting professor.  Can you say _ouch?"_

She was frowning slightly, and cocking her head slightly to one side as he worked himself up.

"Yikes, I'm sorry again.  Didn't mean to unload all that on you.  I haven't actually told the whole story since it happened, so I guess it all came out in a rush.  The guy was my teacher, for crying out loud!  How could I sit in his class after that?  I dropped the course, but it wasn't enough.  Jess and I were living in the same place, still trying to do all the same things but avoid each other as much as possible… it was a mess.  Finally I decided to skip the last few days of class and go for an early spring break.  Everybody said Hong Kong was a good place to party, and so here I am.  Desperately trying to nurse a broken heart but not really succeeding because it's very hard to do that on an empty stomach."

He cracked a grin in her direction, who just looked down at the ground again.  He wondered what she was doing out here, anyway, just standing on the corner and staring at the pavement.  

"You look as lost as I do," he finally said, and she looked up again.  Was she some kind of street kid?  She seemed a little too clean for that.  The faint glow of the neon lights above was reflected in the glossy sheen of her black hair, hanging straight down her back.  She seemed healthy enough.  So why the standing around?

"Not that I'm in a position to point fingers or anything," he continued aloud.  "Who knows, maybe you're just trying to figure something important out, and I'm distracting you.  Well, if that's true, then I'm sorry.  Again."

He finished his cigarette, and threw it down to stamp on it.  

"I suppose I really should get going.  There's got to be somewhere to eat nearby, right?  And I won't rest until I find it."

He thumped his fist over his chest in a mock salute, then continued on his way.  She said not a word at his departure, which disappointed him a little.  She could have at least said goodbye in her language, or something.  

She was pretty though.  He was in the middle of glancing over his shoulder to see if she was watching him walk away, and therefore not looking forward, when the three men leapt for him.

Eric hadn't been hit like that across the face since he played street hockey in high school, and he was so surprised that he actually yelped in pain before stumbling back into the wall.  He should have been expecting this, of course, in such a desolate block there was every reason to worry that a pale-face like him might get mugged.  But nothing had happened since his arrival in this exotic city, not even at the party a couple nights before when he had completely passed out in the middle of a group of strangers.  Everything, his money, passport, all of it, had still been there when he woke up with the worst hangover of his life.  He had actually been thinking that this city must be more honest than any place he'd ever been, until now.  Nervously he raised his hands as they circled around.

"What?  You want money?  Don't have too much of it, you know, it's all on the Visa.  And you're not going to have much luck getting it to work…"

They didn't seem to understand any English either, and snickered as they drew closer.  Eric gulped as he tried to press himself further back into the bricks.  Evidently there was no way to discourage them, there was nothing left but to fight for it.  But he wasn't so sure he could take three guys – 

There was a blur to his left, and then a scream of pain as someone slammed into the first guy.  He crumpled to the pavement, completely out for the count, but the girl didn't even pause for a breath before skipping off one foot and launching into the air again.  The other two had that much time to prepare themselves, and her target managed to jump out of the way of a kick aimed at his temple. 

It was a good thing Eric hadn't tried to take them on.  They clearly knew some kind of kung fu or something, and he watched them settle into defensive stances with their fists up.  But they didn't know nearly as much as she did.  She worked efficiently, spinning and kicking too fast for them to avoid, keeping one of them between herself and the other to use as a shield.  Neither of them could even land a punch.  He watched one leap forward with a kick, but she deflected him to the side and planted a painful looking kick at the base of his spine.  He yelled and stumbled forward, and she used her momentum to spin around and smack her heel against the temple of the other.  He was knocked to the ground, and after a moment he shakily climbed to his feet.  

"Hey," Eric said helpfully.  "This guy's waking up."  

Indeed the first guy was picking himself up off the pavement, looking a little groggy.  Eric was about to return that punch when he uttered a sharp command in Chinese to his friends, and they all turned and ran.

For a moment she looked as though she actually wanted to follow, and Eric quickly moved to intercept her.

"Hey, hey, no.  Don't worry about it.  They're just muggers; it's no big deal.  Trust me, it's not worth getting killed over."

"I'd be fine," she said crossly, but reluctantly chose not to follow.  Eric almost fell over.

"You can speak English?"

"Of course I can speak English.  This was a British consulate, you know."  She had an accent, but her words were perfectly intelligible as she frowned at him.  

"Well yeah, I know…  I just, back there I mean…"  He flushed a little as he remembered his one-sided conversation.  There were certain things that he would have rather not said, knowing that she could understand.  Then he noticed that she was turning around and preparing to walk away.

"Hey, wait a second!" 

"What?"  She glanced over her shoulder impatiently.  "Are you hurt?"

"Huh?  Oh, no… I mean, maybe a little, but I'll live.  Thanks to you.  You're amazing.  Where did you learn to do that stuff?"

"This is Hong Kong."

"Well, yeah… but you're a -"

He stopped himself just in time, but she raised her eyebrows and gave him a sardonic look.

"A girl?"

"Woman of independent means and sparkling personality?" he tried hopefully.  He'd hoped she might crack a smile at that, but evidently this one didn't have much of a sense of humor.  Instead she just hmphed a little before turning around again.

"Wait," he tried again.  "Hey, come on, you just saved me.  At least let me buy you dinner."

She didn't say anything, but she did at least stop walking.

"My mom raised me to always buy dinner for kind women that saved me from muggers," he continued doggedly.  "It's etiquette.  You gotta eat, right?  I know I do."

She was looking at him a little indecisively now, and her vacillation gave him hope.

"I mean, it's not like you've got anywhere else to be, right?"

"No," she answered slowly.  "I don't."

"Great!  Then it'll be on me.  If you could just do me one favor and, um, find the restaurant?"

At that she did almost smile, and gave a tiny shrug before starting to walk again.  He had to hurry to catch up.

-------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters.

A/N:  Those of you that are connoisseurs of my early work no doubt recognize Eric.  Sorry!  I can't help it; I really think he's the perfect match for Meilin, so I'm recycling him for my little fic.  Don't worry – the story is still new.  And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, then definitely don't worry.  You're not missing much.


	2. ch2 one night

Chapter 2 

**'one night'**

Eric wound some noodles around his chopsticks, and for once managed to get them in his mouth before dropping the whole load in his lap.

"Tricky," he said through a mouthful of food.  "But I'm getting the hang of it.  I think."

She looked at him for a moment before taking a drink.  "You don't talk a lot, do you?"

She shook her head.

"I figured out a long time ago there's not much point to it.  Most of the time no one's listening to you anyway."

"Guess so."  He ran a hand through his blonde hair and gave her a shamefaced smile.  "You're probably trying to tell me something, aren't you?  I do kinda talk a lot, I know it.  I'm what the psych professor at home calls an extrovert.  Happiest with people.  This is just a venture on my part, but you're not."

She shook her head again, in agreement.

"I'm not afraid to be alone."

"That's good.  More people should be like that.  Wish I could be like that."  He attempted another round with the chopsticks, and missed the expression that crossed her face.  "So, um, do you go to school somewhere around here?"

She nodded.

"Me too.  I mean, I'm still in school too.  Third year of college at UCLA.  It's a school in California."

She was watching him impassively, and for a moment he wondered if she knew where California was.

"It's on the western side of the United States.  You know, Los Angeles, Hollywood, where all the actors live?"

"I know where California is."

"Right.  Okay.  I just – it's hard to tell what you're thinking."  She raised an eyebrow.  "Well, not right now it's not.  You're thinking, gosh, what a stupid American, but hey, at least he's buying me dinner.  Am I right?"

She rewarded him with a small smile of amusement.

"Aha!  So you can smile.  It's a definite improvement."

The light wasn't much better here, sitting at an outdoor table under the window of a steamy noodle shop.  It was difficult to see into her eyes, but Eric found himself staring at them, captivated, anyway.  Something happened to her face when she smiled.  Before, she had been merely pretty.  But somehow the alteration of light and shadows on her face when she smiled transformed her.  She became beautiful.

It was pleasant to look at, but he got the feeling it didn't happen often.  Sure enough, the smile faded away like an autumn sunset as she returned her attention to the food.

"So, I don't think I ever introduced myself properly.  Eric Masters."

She was silent, and after an awkward pause he nodded in her direction.

"Yes?"

"Well, it's just customary when one person tells you their name, that you also reply with your name."

"Oh."  She seemed oddly reluctant, and he tried not to take offense.

"Well?"

"Meilin," she finally offered.

"May-leen," he repeated, trying to replicate it as accurately as possible.  He knew it was typical over here to offer only the last name first, but this sounded like a given name.  "That's just one name right?"

"That's right."  He waited, but there was only silence, and after a moment it became evident that she wasn't going to offer her family name.  Well, he could hardly blame her.  He was a complete stranger, after all, even if she had saved him.  Besides, this was enough.

Mei-lin.  Meilin.  Nice name.  It suited her well.  It had a nice exotic sound, unlike boring Eric.  

For a moment, the fluffy blonde curls and baby blue eyes of Jessica popped into his mind, and he winced.  What he said earlier was definitely true; he was on the rebound and desperately trying to forget his ex.  He couldn't believe how stupid he was being, sitting here and drooling at this surly Chinese chick like he was a teenager again.  At this point in his life he'd probably go home with the cook if she showed interest.

But still… it was just dinner.  And there was nothing wrong with enjoying dinner with someone.  He did hate to eat alone.  And the thought of parting company and going off on his own was not appealing.  

She didn't seem to be in any hurry either, and dawdled over her food long after he'd finished.  That didn't bother Eric at all, and he lit a post-dinner cigarette without missing a beat in the conversation.  It was true that she didn't talk a lot, but she listened attentively as he rambled on about school, his life at home, his thoughts on Hong Kong.

"It's actually a pretty cool place," he concluded.  "An interesting mix.  Western common law superimposed on top of an ancient Chinese culture.  Makes for contrast."

"I suppose.  Why are you stuck here?"

That took him by surprise, and he remembered that he had mentioned that earlier.  He really wished he hadn't.

"It's kind of embarrassing."

She said nothing, just looked at him.

"Well, in a nutshell, it's my dad."  Still no reply.  "Um, ever heard of Masters Electronics?"

She shook her head.

"Well, it's kind of a big name in electronics distribution.  We import Sony and all the rest of it, sell it in our chain stores.  Dad's the CEO, the boss.  And doesn't let anyone forget it for a minute.  We've been locking horns for years now, and we were in the middle of another big fight – please don't ask about what – when I took off for Hong Kong.  When he found out that I'd skipped the country he blew a gasket and canceled all of my credit cards."

It really hurt to say that.  He did hate being dependent on his parents; it made him feel like such a spoiled brat.  He waited at that point for her to laugh, but he couldn't see any judgement in her eyes.

"So, basically, I've got plenty of money in my checking account for just hanging around.  I did work through college, I mean, the account and that money is mine and he can't touch it.  But I don't have nearly enough to pay for a ticket home.  Which means I have to call him and ask for the money.  Beg for the money, more like."

He jabbed the air with his cigarette emphatically.  

"He thinks he can just make me do whatever he wants, just because he holds the purse strings.  Tries to treat me like one of his regional directors.  Jackass.  He can't keep me over here forever.  Eventually he's going to have back down.  I refuse to beg for anything from him."

"Stalemate."

"Exactly.  It's like, the weirdest game of chicken I ever played.  And I'm not inclined to give in any time soon.  So basically, I'm just stuck here."  He gave a little shrug.  "There are worse places than this to be stuck in."

"Thanks," she said, with a hint of sarcasm.

"No offense," he said quickly.  "It's just, I think I'd like to go back home someday.  You can identify with that, can't you?"

She gave her own little shrug at that, and looked off into the distance.  Instantly his interest was piqued.  

"You do have a home, right?"

"I have to go," she said abruptly, and pushed away from the table.

"Hey, wait a second!"  Frantically he stubbed out his cigarette and grabbed his backpack.  She had long legs and was hitting a pretty fast pace, and Eric was barely able to keep up.

"What's the rush?" he puffed by her side.  "You don't want to talk about it, that's okay.  I'm not going to press."

She slowed a little at that, and shot him a sideways glance.  

"You're not?"

"Nah.  I'm a libertarian, and it's none of my business."

"A what?"

"A – oh, never mind.  It's not important.  You don't want to talk about it, that's your business.  I mean, just because I told you my life story doesn't mean you're obligated to tell yours, right?"

The look of surprise on her face was so funny that he almost laughed.  The reasonable nature of his tone had shocked him, too.  Truthfully, he was dying to know, but he was smart enough to realize that if he pushed the issue she'd just run off.  And in a city like this, he'd probably never see her again.  

"You want to go get a drink or something?" he tried.  "Still on me."

"You don't have to do that."

"Hey, come on, I owe you my life.  Or at least my wallet.  You're like the Good Samaritan."

"The what?"

"Never mind.  Someone that deserves a drink."

She hesitated.

"I don't drink."

"Oh come on.  You must drink something.  Water?  Orange juice?"  She was starting to smile again, though he could see she was trying to hide it.  "Lemonade?  Or do they call it a lemon squash over here?"

Finally she admitted defeat and that smile blossomed across her face.  

"I suppose a lemon squash would be nice…"

"Excellent.  Where's the nearest bar?"  That she didn't know right off, and they wandered down the street for a while in companionable silence.  Eric still felt awkward at the conversational pause, but he was slowly getting used to the idea that a break in the dialogue wasn't necessarily a bad thing.  Not every minute had to be filled with words.  It was new, but kind of nice.

*****

"I don't quite understand.  Why can't I hit that ball in?"

"Because it's the eight ball."

"I can see that.  It's solid, and you said I was hitting in the solids."

"But the eight ball is different."  Eric sipped his beer and set the bottle down on the edge of the pool table.  "It has to be last, always.  Whoever hits it in while there's still another ball on the table will automatically lose.  Even if it's by accident."

"Oh.  So where should I hit?"

"Try that blue one over there."

"To where?"

"That pocket."

"They're on opposite sides!"

"I know.  This is when you use angles.  You know, math."  She frowned slightly at that.

"I don't like math very much."

"You're kidding.  I thought all Asians were great at math."  She shot him a Look, and he cringed.  "Okay, fine, you don't like math.  I'm not too great at it either, but I learned enough to play this.  Look, I'll show you."

He considered leaning over behind her to demonstrate, then wisely decided that she would never tolerate that.  Instead he reached out and guided the stick to the appropriate angle.  "Here.  Shoot it to hit the rim, and it will bounce back and go in the corner pocket."

"Tricky."

"But doable.  Trust me.  You're really good for someone that's never done this before.  You'll get it."

She gave him an unreadable look, then pulled back and hit the cue ball with a thwack.  Sure enough, it deflected off the rim and went straight in.

"See?  Told you."

She straightened, looking a little awed.

"Wow.  I did it."

"Yeah.  Now you get to go again."

"I did it."

"Yeah, I know."  He gave her a calculating look.  For someone who had trounced three hefty muggers earlier in the evening, she looked unbelievably amazed.  "Don't let it go to your head or anything, okay?  I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're a beginner."

"You said I could do it."

"Yeah, I know.  I was there, remember?  Now come on, pick another ball to hit."

Finally she shook her head and returned to reality.

He did win that game, though she was picking it up pretty fast.  When they played again, she almost beat him.  The third time, she did.

"Damn, girl.  How do you learn so fast?"

She gave him a noncommittal look.

"It was just luck."

"Don't be modest.  Trust me, if my frat buddies were here right now, I'd never live it down.  I see I'm going to have to pay you off to keep this little secret."

"You don't have to pay me off- oh.  That was a joke, right?"

"Slowly but surely, she is picking it up.  Yes, that was a joke."

He glanced at a clock on the wall and was surprised to see it was two o'clock in the morning.  How had time passed so fast?

"I can't take another bruising to my pride.  Wanna get out of here, take a walk?"

"Well, I…"  She too was looking at the clock, then back at him.  "Aren't you tired?  Don't you want to go to bed?"

"Please.  I think I got up about noon today, I'm not in any rush to sleep."  He didn't feel tired at all.  He was desperate to keep this going, unwilling to end the night just yet.  He was having fun with this girl.  "Are you tired?"

"Well, not really."

"Great.  Then a walk it is.  You can show me all the cool sights of nighttime Hong Kong."  

"Sounds to me like you've already seen a lot of Hong Kong nightlife."

"Well, that's true, but…"  But this was different.  He didn't know how to say it, so he settled for lighting up again.

She paused and watched him coax a flame out of the lighter, in the glow of the windows of the bar.  The weather was misty still, but it wasn't so bad as to discourage outdoor activity.

"You smoke an awful lot," she observed.

"It's gotten a lot worse since the breakup, yes.  My pacifier.  Used to be only a couple a day."  He exhaled lovingly and watched the smoke join the mist.  "But you know how it is when the love of your life leaves you.  You latch onto whatever you can."

"I suppose," she murmured thoughtfully.  Eric's ears pricked up at that, but he knew better than to pry.  He still knew almost nothing about this girl, after so many hours of conversation.  Bringing up her love life was definitely not the way to start.

"So, how did you get into kung fu?  I'm assuming it was kung fu back there."

She nodded as they began to walk.  

"Yes.  I was taught by… a kind man."

"When?"

"I was three when I began."

"No kidding?  Your parents must have really wanted you to do it.  Wow."

"I wanted to do it," she said firmly, by way of correction.  

"So you've been training ever since you were three years old?  You're like a female Jackie Chan."

She looked puzzled for a moment, then her expression cleared.

"Oh, right.  The actor."

"Of course the actor.  You've seen his movies, right?"

"I think so.  I don't really see movies very much."

"Oh."

And after that he couldn't think of anything else safe to talk about, so they continued in silence.  They walked for hours like that, in a comfortable quiet, broken only when she pointed out a particular temple or landmark.  He was paying more attention to her than their surroundings, and was surprised when he found himself standing by the railing of the harbor.  The lights of the city were reflected in the oily calm water, rippling slightly.

"Pretty," he said thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving her face.  She wasn't looking at him, but leaning over the railing and gazing out over the water.  

"I like to come here sometimes, and look out over the ocean.  Think about what's across the water."

There was no mistaking the longing in her voice.

"You ever think about going and finding out?"

"I know what it's like.  Besides, I can't."  She turned around and crossed her arms, leaning against the rail.  

"What, like you can't afford it?  It's really not that expensive, you know.  A couple months of working, maybe.  Depends on where you're going."

"I know."

Something nagged at Eric, and he wondered what she meant by saying she knew what it was like.  She was looking up now, looking at the darker mountains that surrounded the port city.  High up on the hills there were scattered lights.  The high income homes, if he remembered the guidebook correctly.  

"View of the city must be really nice from way up," he ventured.  "Can't even imagine what it would cost to have a place up there.  My dad would buy one just to prove he could do it."

"Mm."

She was hugging her arms to her chest now, gazing into space.  In that moment, there was a look of such utter desolation and sadness on her face that Eric almost flinched.  

Ouch, he thought.  She looks how I felt the morning after I found out.  I wonder what happened?

"Meilin?"

"What?"  She turned her head slightly to face him, and the look was gone.  Her eyes were as guarded and cool as ever.

"Uh, nothing.  I mean, are you cold?"

"No."

"Just checking."

It was getting easier to see her, he realized, and turned back towards the water.

"Hey look, the sun's about to come up.  Can you believe we've been together all night?"

He almost kicked himself when he said that; it sounded so stupid.  She looked a little taken aback, but then she smiled again.

"No, I can't."

"You know, it's been a long time since I've seen the sun come up.  I guess the last time was the all-nighter I pulled last spring.  When I was done typing my term paper I realized it was about time, so I went up to the roof of my fraternity house and just sat there, drinking a Gatorade or something.  It was really peaceful and quiet, just sitting there and watching the sun come up."

But it was definitely nicer to be with somebody.  Trying not to be obvious about it, he inched closer.  Her gaze was riveted on the rosy light in the east.

"But I've never seen a sunrise over the ocean before.  Have you?"

"Yes."

"Uh-huh.  Funny to think that this sun was just over California a little while ago, shining down on the roof of my frat house."

"Do you wish you were there?"

"No.  Not even a little bit."

She didn't say anything at that, as they watched the sun creep upwards, its light reflected brilliantly in the still seawater.  But he had the feeling that she was happy to be here too.

A light breeze ruffled his hair, lifting it off his face.  And for the first time since that awful moment when Eric walked in on Jessica, a little more than a week earlier, he began to think it would be all right.

--------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters


	3. ch3 unlatched

**Chapter 3**

**'unlatched'**

Eric opened his eyes, let them fall shut again, then admitted defeat and opened them fully to stare at the ceiling.  He was engaging in the mental exercise he did every morning of trying to remember where he was and what had happened to him the evening before.

Hong Kong.  I'm here for spring break.  That's right… this must be another of those backpacker boarding houses.  I've been to a new one every night, but they all look the same.

He was doing well so far.  Pleased, he concentrated on the previous evening.  It was not difficult, as he hadn't had more than a couple of drinks.  

An attack, Meilin, dinner, playing pool, walking through Hong Kong, sunrise at the harbor.  Unreal.  Did all that actually happen?

He rolled over and let his thoughts continue to settle.  Yes, he was quite sure that it all had happened.  The details were very sharp in his mind, so it was either a memory or the craziest hallucination he'd ever had.  And since there was definitely no hangover, he opted for the first explanation.

Plus, she was still asleep in the bed on the other side of the room.

**

Not wanting to break the mood, they had both relaxed on a bench as the sun rose ever higher into the sky.  The ocean became violently pink, then orange, then settled on gold as the sun edged itself completely over the horizon.  Eric thought it was one of the most amazing sights he'd ever seen, and plucked up the courage to whisper something to her about how it was as beautiful as she was.

That was when he realized she'd fallen asleep on his shoulder.

**

Meilin felt disoriented when she opened her eyes.  The ceiling above her was unfamiliar; her bed was different.  The noisy clanging of downtown Hong Kong was extremely loud, as if it were right outside the window.  And most curious of all, she didn't have that typical sensation of dread that she'd woken up with every day for the past six years.

Where am I?

She rolled over slightly and found herself facing Eric, on another bed on the far side of the room.  He was lying on his side, watching her with bright blue eyes that didn't flicker as she met his stare.  

"Morning, sunshine," he said cheerfully.  

Oh my god.  Oh my… what have I done?

She sat straight up in bed, aware that she was still in all of her clothing minus the shoes.

"What happened?  Where am I?"

"Don't remember?"  He nodded and yawned a little, looking none too concerned.  "Guess you wouldn't.  You fell asleep on my shoulder when we were watching the sunrise; you were exhausted.  I woke you up a little to walk, but I couldn't get a straight answer out of you about where you lived.  I asked if you lived alone and you kept muttering, 'alone, always alone', blah, blah, blah.  I was tired too, so I just put you to bed and crashed."  He groped for his watch, lying on top of his backpack.  "It's almost two in the afternoon.  I could go for some lunch.  How about you?"

Oh my god.

Meilin put her hand over her mouth, oblivious to Eric's nonchalance.  She couldn't believe what she'd done.

I spent the entire night out!  What was I thinking!  And now a good part of the day too… oh, they must be so worried.  Why didn't I just go home last night?  I should have, I know I should have.  But I just couldn't make myself do it.  This is crazy; I have to get out of here.

"Hey, are you okay?  Meilin?"  She started fumbling for her shoes and pulled them on, shaking her head and muttering to herself in Chinese.  "Meilin?  What's wrong?"

"This was a mistake, I have to go.  I have to get home."

"What?  Hey!"  Eric scrambled out of bed and practically dove across the room to intercept her path to the door.  "Wait, don't go just yet.  Let me get you lunch at least."

"No, it's too much, I have to get home…"

"What, do you have a roommate or something?  Someone who's going to worry?"

She could not look at those blue eyes and dropped her gaze, then found herself blushing slightly at the sight of him in only a pair of khaki pants.  He wasn't quite as muscular as – as other men she'd known in the past, but his chest was toned and lean.  

Before she knew what she was doing, she was shaking her head no.  What was she doing?

"Well then, what's the big rush?"

This was turning into the longest date in history, but Eric was anxious to keep it going.  He still had no phone number, no address, not even a last name.  If she walked out now, he'd never find her again.  

Meilin hesitated as she opened her mouth to explain.  All she had to do was tell Eric that it had been fun, but she really needed to get back to her family.  So why didn't she just say so?  The thought of what was waiting for her at home gave her pause.

I'll be in so much trouble.  They'll be happy, it will give them just another reason to scream at me.  It will all be so much worse.

And here's this guy.  Eric, from America.  A complete stranger who's been nicer to me than anyone has in months.  And just because I saved him from a couple muggers.  I can't walk away just yet.  I know I'm only making it worse for myself later on, but I can't make myself go home.

"Lunch would be nice," she finally heard herself say.  "Thank you."

**

The little gate to the cage was unlatched.  Meilin had forgotten to scoop the seed first, now that she'd unlocked it, but it would only take a moment to turn back and do it.  Outside, the rain was coming down hard, drumming loudly on the roof.  The insistent noise bothered the bird, making her jump from side to side and fluff up her feathers nervously.  She cocked her head to one side, then the other.  Something was different here.  There was an opening where there had been none before, a tiny space where the gate was swinging open.  Escape.  Freedom.  The bird hopped forward lightly, then hesitated.  She had never left the cage before.  What lay beyond the safety of the bars?

*****

"…and so, everybody's all: you're too good for her, or, it wasn't meant to be, Eric.  It's time to let go."  He snorted contemptuously.  "It's so easy for them to say that when they're not the ones involved, you know?"

Meilin said nothing, but he got the impression that she understood completely.

"I was planning a future with her.  Picturing ourselves together…"  He made a vague gesture indicating forward, unable to bring himself to say the word 'married'.  "Hard to let something like that go."

She nodded, still silent.  

"I guess there's no easy way to deal with it," he speculated.  "You just pick up and move on with your life, somehow.  Or pick up and go to Asia, if you're me.  And start spending a lot more on cigarettes."

He took one out then and paused in his speech to light it.

"You think I'm escaping, running away?  That's what a few of my friends said when I took off."

"Yes."  The smooth and unhesitating reply caught him off guard.

"You do?"

"Yes, I do.  You're trying to escape from the pain, and that's okay.  There always has to be some kind of escape, no matter how temporary.  When you're ready, you'll go back and start rebuilding."

Eric found himself nodding slowly in agreement, then exhaled and watched the smoke drift away.  

That's right.  I'll go back, eventually, depending on when Dad backs down.  And I'll move on with my life.  Christ, I'm not looking forward to that.  I hate thinking about it.  Maybe that's because, for the first time, I've found someone who helps me to forget.  

He exhaled again, watching Meilin surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye.

I am totally using her as a rebound girl.  She probably deserves better than that, but it's not like she's not having fun or anything.  I think.  Anyway, she hasn't tried to leave again.  I'm not ready to say goodbye to her just yet.  She's the best distraction I've had yet.

He stubbed out his cigarette.

"So I was thinking about checking out that marketplace," he said conversationally.  "You know, the open air bazaar or whatever.  Sounds like a cool place to get some souvenirs and stuff.  Wanna come with?"

Please say yes.  Please don't leave me all alone again.  I hate being alone.

"Well, I…"

Meilin tapped her chopsticks against the edge of the plate thoughtfully.

I have to go home.  I know I do.  I can't… I can't just keep tagging along with Eric like this, it's ridiculous.  

"If you're sure it's not a bother…"

Aah!  Why did I just say that?

"No, no problem at all.  I, uh, don't want to get taken for a ride, you know. I figure since you're so local and all, you can help me bargain."

Yes!  I have her for at least a little while more.

What am I doing?  I have to go home.  I can't just keep putting it off like this.  Right?

**

The bird chirped nervously, and a little gust made the cage door swing open even wider.

*****

No matter how she struggled and fought, she could not hold it back.  Finally she gave up and burst into giggles.

"Stop it!"

"Why?"

"Because you look goofy!"

"No big loss," he replied, finally uncrossing his eyes and giving her a big grin.  "Besides, I made you laugh.  Tell me it was as good for you as it was for me."

Meilin finally composed herself and gave him a sedate look.

"It's not as if I've never laughed before."

"Maybe."  Whimsically he stuck his tongue out at her, then gave her a contrite look.  "Maybe not.  I think it's pretty clear that you don't do it very often."

"Probably because I don't spend much time with silly Americans who make faces like children."

"Whatever works," he replied cheerfully, then whipped another dress off its rack.  "How about this one?"

"For the hundredth time, no, Eric.  I told you don't need to buy anything else for me.  You've done plenty."

"Oh, she's a stubborn one," he sighed out loud.  "But she doesn't know that the Masters' stubbornness exhibited by my father flows richly through my veins."

"I'm pretty stubborn myself."

"Oh come on, Meilin.  Look around.  We're in a holy place, a marketplace shrine to capitalism.  And you're a girl!  To not get anything is nothing less than sacrilege."

"But I don't want anything," she protested, beginning to feel a little worn down.  

"There has to be something," he said firmly.  They'd been wandering for hours now, and the sun was beginning to drop down toward the western hills.  She was bound to have to go home soon, if no other reason than to change.  But if he could get her into some new clothing before then, he might get more time.

"Well there's not."

"I say there is."

"Isn't."

"Is."

"Isn't!"

"Is!"

"Isn't!"

"Is times infinity, and you can't repeat!" he said quickly, and she gave him a flabbergasted look before choking back some more giggles.

"Now how mature is that?"

"Please don't say the m-word in my presence."

"Seriously, how old are you?  Seven?"

He blew bubbles in his iced coffee just to make her groan, then grinned wickedly.

"I'll be twenty-two in July, thanks.  And this isn't my fault, you know.  I'm the youngest; I've always been the baby.  I'm allowed to be immature."

He was about to ask her how old she was, but there was a funny look in her eyes.

"What?"

"You have a July birthday?"

"Yup.  What about you, any siblings?"  She shook her head.

"No, I'm an only child."

"Probably why you're so quiet.  See, what you need is to find some nice guy that is the youngest in his family.  It'll be a good balance."

He hoped he wasn't being too obvious, but he didn't seem to be on her mind at all as her eyes focused inward.

"Not every youngest child is treated like the baby.  Sometimes they can be the most serious of all."

"Please.  Like who?"

"Just… some people."  She didn't seem inclined to continue this conversation, and instead wandered over to the next tent.  "May I persuade you to settle for a shirt instead of a dress?"  She held up a dark purple sleeveless top, and Eric found himself nodding happily.  "Then thank you.  I'll change right now."

It wasn't until she'd ducked behind a pile of boxes that he realized she had managed to distract him from their conversation entirely.  But he couldn't be bothered to care, not when he could hear her taking off her shirt.  

"This feels strange," she said after a moment, breaking the silence between them.

"What?"

"I don't normally do this, you know.  Run around with complete strangers all over town."

"It's all part of the adventure of travel.  Never knowing what's coming next… expect the unexpected, and all that."

She gave a quiet hmph at that, then stood up and began folding her red shirt.

"What?"  

"Nothing.  It's just… you're not the first person I've heard say that."  She looked up, smiling with a hint of irony in her eyes.  "But you are probably the first who's made it come true.  At least for me."

"Oh."  It was the most bizarre thing she'd said yet, and he was completely baffled as to how to reply.  Fortunately, she didn't seem to expect an answer, and instead unzipped a side pocket on his backpack to stuff in her shirt.

"Didn't you want to find any souvenirs for your friends?"

Eric waved a negligent hand.

"I'll pick up some T-shirts at the airport before I go home.  They're not a picky group.  Suppose I should get my sisters some jewelry or something.  You're a chick.  Help me pick something out."

"Sisters?"  That weird look crossed her face again.

"Yeah, two of 'em.  They're both out of college now, beginning successful careers, one engaged, one married."  He made another face, which provoked a smile on her part.  "And not a day goes by when my father doesn't point that out."

"He feels you are not living up to his expectations?"

"To put it mildly."

"But you're still in school, correct?"

"Yeah, but only a year left to go.  He started his first business when he was just eighteen, anyway.  According to him, I should have known what I want to do with my life the second I left the womb."

He lifted a necklace for her inspection; she made a face and he quickly put it back down.  

"I had no idea what I wanted to major in when I started college, so I took his suggestion and enrolled in the business school.  It was all his idea."

"And you didn't like it?"

Eric looked as though he wanted to spit out some lemon juice, then gave a lengthy sigh.

"No!  That's the worst part of it all – I loved it.  The flow of capital from consumer to producer, the astounding potential of trade and variety of tastes that it catered to… I was hooked."

Meilin was a little startled.  Despite the sour face he'd been wearing discussing his father, his smile was spreading across his face again, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm.  Unexpectedly he threw his arms out to indicate the marketplace around them.

"Anyone that can create something that someone else needs has a way to feed themselves.  And the ones that do it the best get more money, which enables them to hire people to help them, which creates jobs.  Which enables those that are paid to buy more things… and so on and so on and so on.  It's going on all the time around us.  It's amazing, and I love it.  Too much.  I realized it last Christmas when I went home for vacation and got in a huge argument with Dad about the virtues of in-house production versus contracting."

"Realized what?"

"That I had the potential to become exactly like him."  He gave a shudder.  "It was a  horrible shock.  I don't want to love what he loves, even though I know I do.  So here I am, almost three years into business school and yet to decide what I want to do with my education.  Even though I won't admit to him that I like business, he knows it, and he keeps pressing me to intern at his company or with some friends of his.  He doesn't understand why I keep refusing.  And when he doesn't understand something, he gets a little annoyed."

Eric glared at his sneakers as they wandered past the tents, all thoughts of picking out presents for his sisters having flown from his head.  It was the stupidest situation he'd ever heard of, and now that he'd said it aloud, he was sure she would agree.

"That was what the fight was about?"

"Huh?  Oh, right.  Yeah, that was what the fight was about.  Just the latest installment in a running series, actually.  He thinks I skipped the country to avoid talking about it, which is probably true to some extent.  I keep hoping that if I can put him off long enough, I'll hit enlightenment and find something to do with business that has absolutely nothing at all to do with the company.  Dumb, huh?"

"I don't think so at all," she said firmly, without a trace of hesitation.  The certainty of her reply caught him by surprise, and he stopped walking.  Dimly he realized that they had wandered completely clear of the market now, and were standing in an out-of-the-way alley.  The setting sun cast a ray of golden light on Meilin's face before disappearing behind the buildings and leaving them in shadows.

"You don't?"

"Searching for something that has meaning to you without forcing yourself to live in your father's shadow is not dumb.  I think it's very brave."

"Oh," he said again, stupidly.  The way she said it made it sound so much nicer, not so hideously embarrassing.  "You sound like you know what you're talking about.  So I guess I'll take your word for it."

Meilin felt her cheeks grow a little warm at that.  Yes, she knew all too well the frustrations of living up to a parent's expectations.  Speaking of which, she really needed to be going home.  It was unthinkable that she had been away so long; she could scarcely believe that almost twenty-four hours had passed.  

But the way Eric was smiling at her, and looking at her… it felt so nice, to be looked at with kind eyes.  No one had ever looked at Meilin the way that he was looking at her right now.  She didn't ever want it to end.

It did end, as all things had to, with a deliberate cough on someone's part.  Distracted, both glanced over to see that their solitude had been invaded.  Three men stood just a few paces away, casually blocking the path back to the street.  Meilin felt her pulse quicken as they spread out a little, instinctively sensing danger.  The one who had coughed had a nasty smile on his face as he stepped closer.

"Her?"

"Yeah, that's the one," muttered the one on the far right, and with a start she realized he was one of the men she'd fought the evening before. "She's tougher than she looks, though, boss.  Be careful."

Eric didn't understand what they were saying, but he recognized the man too, and frowned.

"Hey, I know you -"

"Shut up," the first one said smoothly, this time in English.  "You were lucky to get away last night.  That's not going to happen tonight."

"Excuse me?" Eric squeaked, then immediately hated himself for squeaking like a girl.  Meilin didn't seem fazed, and took a cautious step forward.  

"Luck had nothing to do with it.  You want him, you're going to have to go through me.  And you won't find it easy."

She let her hands fall to her sides, unclenched and relaxed but at the ready.  Adrenaline was starting to flow again, preparing her for another round of combat.  He was a head taller than she was, with long arms and long legs that no doubt served him well in a fight.  There was a seasoned, tough look to him that belied long years of experience.  Age was difficult to determine, but he didn't seem any older than Eric was.  Black hair fell in bangs over his face, kept clear of his skin by the scarlet strip of cloth he'd tied there.  It bore an unusual symbol, not one that she had ever seen before.  It looked rather like a bird.  

His dark eyes were glittering as they drew closer to one another, sizing her up in return.

"I'm telling you, Jing Kun, she's a tough bitch.  We'd better take her all at once."

Meilin stiffened, but the one called Jing Kun just shook his head.

"Mm-mm.  This," and here he swept another leisurely gaze up and down her body, "is all mine.  Just make sure he doesn't run."

"Gulp," Eric murmured softly to himself.

"Just keep your back to the wall," she said over her shoulder.  "And don't panic."

"Who, me?"

She didn't answer.  They were close enough to hit now, and Eric felt a clutch of nervousness in his chest.  He couldn't even imagine what she must be feeling, though her expression was glacially cool.  The other two had fanned out to surround them, all eyes locked on the pair.  Everything was oppressively silent for one moment.  And then, by some cue that Eric couldn't see, they exploded into combat.

He wasn't even sure who threw the first attack, it was so fast, and he could barely follow with his eyes the blur of kicks and punches.  It was unbelievable how quickly he was snapping out those attacks, but she avoided or parried every one.  It didn't seem to matter that she was so much smaller and lighter; her speed and aggression made up for it.  Like a bird she darted around every kick and punch to throw her own attack, landing lightly on her feet whenever she was rebuffed.  

For a brief moment they paused in the fight, both in a kind of half-crouch as they exchanged smoldering looks.  Eric was surprised at the tiny spurt of jealousy that bubbled up through his fear and bewilderment.  The two had never met, and yet this unexpected duel had already created a connection between them.  

Jing Kun snarled a little and lunged forward with a high kick, but Meilin slid away from the danger and managed a little parting shot of her own before he'd landed.  He was a noisy fighter, one of those that liked to punctuate his strikes and blows with intimidating yells.  It did not detract from his skill, but she'd always considered it a waste of breath and preferred to attack silently, like a cat.  It had unnerved her opponents in the past, but this one was far too experienced to let anything so minor throw him off course.  Already he was adapting his style, trying to find her weakness and exploit it, breaking up the rhythm of his strikes.  She had to force herself to concentrate and focus, trying hard to sense what he would throw next.  

A wisp of her long black hair crossed her face and impatiently she tried to flick it out of the way without dropping her defense.  Long hair could be a nuisance at times, and she wished she'd had a chance to tie it out of the way earlier.  He saw the tiny movement, and inwardly she cringed at the predatory smirk on his lips.  This fight couldn't continue forever; she was outnumbered and already beginning to tire.  She had to find a way out… there had to be some way to get her and Eric away safely…

He was attacking again, and desperately she tried to block every blow while searching for an escape.  And then her distraction caught up with her as his backfist connected with her temple and sent her sprawling.

"Meilin!" Eric cried out, then clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Mei-lin," Jing Kun repeated lovingly, then inserted a finger between his lips to draw it out slowly.  "Beautiful, like yourself.  But all beautiful things must end eventually."

She made no move to pick herself up from the pavement, but watched him warily as he stepped closer.

"You lasted a lot longer than anyone has in a while.  And believe me, when I say 'a while', I mean it."  There were snickers from his henchmen, and Eric tried to figure out what was so funny.  "It's too bad that it has to end -"

He'd come close enough, and Meilin snapped her legs out in a scissor-kick takedown, trapping his ankles between hers.  She'd managed to take him by surprise, at least, and he grunted as he hit the ground with a painful-sounding smack.  She gave him no time to recover, but gripped his shirt and rolled into a tight somersault.  Bodies entwined, they tumbled across the alleyway for one rotation before she came to a stop atop him, her knee on his chest and her hand grasping at the one salvation that she'd spotted after being knocked to the ground.  Jing Kun didn't have a chance to struggle free before she'd smashed the empty bottle into the concrete, bracing the sharp and jagged edge against his neck.  

The other two started forward at once, but she just pressed the glass deeper into his flesh and provoked a few drops of red blood.

"Unless you want him dead, don't move," she ordered coldly, then stole a moment to catch her breath.  Everything was utterly quiet again, and her hostage stared up at her silently.  That smirk was still on his lips, and she resisted an urge to try and strike it right off his face.  It was making her nervous, being so close, but there was no other way, not if they were going to make a clean getaway.

"Go," she panted.  "Run.  Hail a cab."

Eric stepped uncertainly away from the wall of the building, eyeing the others.

"But -"

"I'll be right behind you.  Just run, and don't look back."

There didn't seem to be any alternative but to obey her.  Eric sidled his way through the group, acutely aware of the frustration in their eyes as they watched him go.  They were all staring at him like they wanted to eat him or something.  It was creepy.  

The sound of his footsteps grew quicker and fainter as he disappeared in the shadows, and then it was just the four of them.  Meilin could feel the muscles of the person below her tensing, readying themselves for more action.  This man was lethally dangerous; she could see it in his eyes.  He was a warrior. 

"Ready to let go yet?" he asked softly, never breaking his gaze.  He knew and she knew that there was no way she would contemplate slicing into his neck and killing him.  

"I'll let go when I'm good and ready," she replied.

"Think you'll be able to get away quickly enough when you have?"

"I'm pretty fast."

"But can you keep going?"  There was more of that smugness in his voice again, and Meilin almost squirmed.  There was no way that this stranger could ever know long-distance running had once been her weak point, but his words – 

The instant before it happened she realized he'd seen the distraction in her eyes and was preparing to throw her off.  Even as she felt his torso muscles contract and bunch, she jumped to her feet and began sprinting as hard and fast as she could, following the path Eric had taken.  

"Go, go!" she could hear him shouting behind her, and the pounding footsteps of pursuers.  She couldn't help but notice his tone didn't really seem desperate or worried at all, but almost more amused.  As if he was delighted that things had come about the way they had.  

She pushed that thought out of her head as she poured more energy into running.  The sounds of the noisy streets were louder now; she was close.  Like a hunted rabbit she broke stride to turn the corner, digging her sneakers into the ground before pushing herself forward again.  Eric was standing by a cab, and when he saw her he dove into the backseat and held out his hand.  She could hear breathing behind her, and knew that they must be close.  She couldn't afford to slow down at all, but gritted her teeth and barreled right through the door at full velocity.  

Both of them groaned slightly as Meilin slammed into Eric, but already he was pounding on the front seat and shouting to step on it.  He wasn't sure if the driver could understand, but it was easy to recognize the universal signals of pursuit, and the thugs had just barely reached for the car door when the cab pulled away from the curb with a squeal.  Horns honked and tires screeched, but the cabbie swerved into the traffic easily and accelerated still more.  Their attackers disappeared, and Eric slumped against the far door with a soft moan.

"Oh… ouch.  That was intense."

Meilin was still half in his lap, breathing raggedly as she managed a feeble nod.    
"Thank you.  Again.  Now I really owe you."

It would have been impossible not to take advantage of their position and hug her close, and this he did gratefully.  

Their driver said something sharp in Chinese, and Meilin muttered what sounded like an apology before disengaging so she could close the still-open car door on the right.  Much to his disappointment, she didn't return to his side after that but leaned against the door and closed her eyes.  She was still breathing hard, and he thought he could see her hands trembling slightly.

"You were… wow.  You were amazing back there.  I can't believe how good you are.  I bet they can't either."

"I was scared," she whispered.

"Scared, really?  You didn't look it."

"I've been trained not to show fear to an opponent.  But I was.  He was very strong, and very good, and I was scared."

Her breathing was slowing down now, but the trembling had not ceased.  Eric was at something of a loss for what to say.

"Well, uh, so was I, if that helps."  She didn't respond, staring with glazed eyes at the back of the driver's head, and Eric recalled their attacker's enigmatic statement.  "They were after me, after all.  Not just my wallet, they were after me."

After a moment, she nodded in agreement.

"Perfect.  Just perfect.  Guess they figured out who I was, somehow."  He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, bracing his head in his hands.  "Now I'm not just nursing a broken heart in a place that I'm not supposed to be, I'm a target for ransom.  Dad'll just love it.  He'll probably tell them to do him a favor and get rid of me if they call up asking for money."

He yawned, feeling the onset of weariness that always follows a surge of adrenaline.  Eric had heard, of course, of rich children being kidnapped for money, but it had never in a million years occurred to him that it might one day happen to him.  How had they ever figured out who he was and tracked him down, in a place like this of all places?

"I would have been a goner.  I owe you everything, Meilin, I mean it.  You saved me."

"They're not through," she murmured, so quietly that he looked up and over at her. 

"What?"

"They're not through coming for you.  He said I'd have to keep running.  They're after you specifically, and they're going to keep trying."

The car was absolutely silent after that, and Eric found himself gripping the car seat and wheezing a little painfully.  They were… they were what?  They were actually going to come after him again?  When?  And from where?  Who were these guys?

The glowing city outside the window was suddenly a frightening jungle, hiding all sorts of menaces and threats.  What had begun as an innocent and spontaneous vacation was rapidly turning into a nightmare.  It wasn't fair.  Criminals were robbing his peace of mind, and he had come here to relax!

"It's not fair," he whimpered, aware of how absurdly obvious it was but still needing to say it aloud.  She only met his eyes and nodded.  But his next action surprised the both of them.  Hardly conscious of doing it, Eric suddenly reached across the backseat and snatched her hand with his.

"You, Meilin.  You fought them; you can keep them away!  You'll help me, right?"

"What?"  She looked so taken aback that he rushed to explain.

"I don't know anyone in this city, and I can't leave even if I want to.  Stay with me?  You're all that's between me and them!"

His hand was squeezing hers as his blue eyes begged.  Meilin realized her mouth was opening, but no sound was coming out.

She had a home, a place that she was expected to be and should have been several hours earlier.  To just keep on roving with this stranger was unthinkable in every respect.  It was wrong, it was improper, it was ridiculous to even consider it.  

But then, what he said was true.  He did need her.

**

The bird hesitated only a moment longer as the gate swung back and forth, tantalizingly.  At last she could stand it no more and burst forth, wings flapping madly as she soared toward freedom.  The girl's cry of despair behind her and the pouring rain before her mattered none.  

The unknown future was beckoning.

*****

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as the plane touched down on Chinese soil.  It was a flight that only lasted a few hours and had never seemed very long to her before, but with Syaoran stewing on her left the atmosphere had been decidedly tense.  She kept her purse and Kero tucked safely behind her right foot, just in case.  

The seatbelt sign blinked off, and her boyfriend uttered an impatient growl.

"Finally.  Let's go."  He was up and grabbing his bag before she could even unlatch her seatbelt, and she had to scurry to catch up to him in the ramp tunnel.

"Syaoran!  Syaoran, for goodness sakes, wait up.  A few more minutes isn't going to make any difference, and you know it!"

He said nothing, but he paused and held out his hand for hers before continuing.  She squeezed it gratefully.  

"Syaoran."  They emerged from the gate and turned at the greeting.  Li Yelan had come to greet them herself, looking regal as ever even in a modern Chinese dress.  "At last you're here."

For once Li didn't bother to stand at attention, or in fact even pause to greet her.

"Mother," he acknowledged, and strode right past her before turning impatiently.  "What are you hanging around for?  Come on, let's go."

It was Sakura that stopped to bow respectfully, then exchange small kisses with the older woman.

"He's been like this ever since you called," she murmured.  "I think he's going to explode."

"Mother?  Sakura?  Come on, let's move."

"It doesn't surprise me in the least," his mother replied softly.  "I delayed in contacting him for as long as I could, but I knew it could not be put off forever.  He deserved to hear the news, no matter how terrible it was."

Both had to hurry to catch up with his long strides through the airport.  Outside, a servant jumped out of a limo to hold open the rear door.  As worried as she was, Sakura couldn't help but smile.  Tomoyo never noticed, naturally; both she and Li had been raised with it.  But every time they came here on holiday Sakura could never quite get used to being treated like royalty.  With a sigh she settled onto the plush seats and unzipped her purse so Kero could breathe.

"Any word?" Li inquired anxiously.  Yelan shook her head.  "No ransom note, even?  Nothing?"

"There has been no contact.  It's as if she simply walked out of the house and never came back."

Li slumped against the seat and glared out the window at the traffic.  

"So it wasn't for the money, then."

"I'm sure it wasn't."

A short but pregnant silence followed.  Sakura wondered uneasily if Li was thinking what she was thinking: with no notice from any kidnappers, Meilin might very well be lying dead somewhere.

She felt awful for even thinking it, and tried to erase the image from her mind.  Negative thoughts like that would be no help at all.

"This…" she began hesitantly, and both Lis gave her a sharp glance.  "This isn't the first time Meilin has been in danger.  Remember Madoushi?"

Li let out his breath explosively.  

"That water dimension."

"Your family has a long history; you've collected a few enemies.  If a magical being wanted to take revenge on the Lis, how would he begin?"

"By targeting one of the few in the family that had no powers of her own," he finished grimly.  "So she could be locked up by some sorcerer somewhere."

"But who?"

At that they both turned to Yelan, who arched her eyebrows in thought.  

"Our history is long; there are many threats to consider.  But I have felt no great stirrings of power, or sensed any hostility directed toward us."

"It's still the best explanation," her son muttered.  "The only explanation, really.  She's too strong, too good a fighter to lose to anything else.  Magic is the only thing that could beat her."

There was another silence after that, a longer one, as the car began the climb up into the hills and the city grew quieter.  They turned a corner and abruptly Li stiffened.  
"Where are we going?"

"Home, Syaoran.  Where else?"

"No, we're going to her place.  Now."  

An unspoken understanding passed between them and Yelan shook her head.

"Syaoran," his mother said gently, "I already tried to locate her in that way.  The spell yielded nothing."

"I don't care.  We're going."

He gave a curt nod toward the glass divider, and Yelan sighed before pressing the button that lowered it.

Sakura tried to hide a yawn as the woman gave out a new address; the day's sudden shift from relaxation to frenzied worry had been hard on her, and the airplane trip didn't help.  Guiltily she thought about sleep, then reminded herself that Meilin might not even have the luxury of a bed right now.  

The limo was turning again, wending its way along another road, and she realized they must be on their way to Meilin's home.  Sakura and Tomoyo had been to Hong Kong three times since they were ten, visiting for Christmas.  But not once had they ever met Li's aunt and uncle, or even seen where Meilin lived.  Drowsily she wondered why that was, and tried to remember when Meilin ever even talked about her parents.  She must have been more tired than she realized; she couldn't think of a single instance just then.  The limo glided to a stop, and Sakura glanced out the window.

"Oh, wow," she said before she could stop herself.  "This is Meilin's home?"

The low, gracefully landscaped buildings were beautiful, but it was more than the architecture that caught the eye.  The surrounding gardens were abloom with colorful and tropical flowers, artfully arranged into neat beds.  Small fountains splashed into rocky pools, replete with lily pads and placid goldfish.  The wrought iron gates swung open to allow their entrance, and the motor idled to a stop before the front steps.  

"This is _the_ home," Li corrected her, kicking open the door and holding his hand out to her.  "The ancestral home where Lis have lived for generations.  Most of the family lives here; we're actually the exception.  I used to come here daily to train, though."

"Oh."  They left Yelan and Kero in the car to skirt the front building and cross a lavish courtyard.  A few martial arts training implements lay out in the open, and with a mental click Sakura realized that this was the setting of that story Meilin had told her so long ago.  She should have realized, but she hadn't grasped then how lovely it all was.  Syaoran wasn't even looking around as he walked straight toward a luxurious porch and stomped up the few steps.

"Ne, how come you've never brought me here before?"

He was rapping sharply on the door now, not answering, and after a few moments someone threw it open.  

"It's late," the woman snapped.  "I – nephew?  Why are you here?"

"Why do you think?" Syaoran answered shortly.  She was not quite as tall as her daughter, Sakura decided, but there was no doubt that she was the mother.  At first she wasn't quite sure how she knew, but then the woman noticed her and shot her a vicious glare.  It was so unexpected and so hostile that Sakura flinched, and gripped Syaoran's hand a little tighter.  That nasty, possessive glare was unmistakable.  Now she knew where Meilin had learned it.

"I've come to look at her room," Syaoran continued, attempting to bring the woman's attention back to him.  "Will you let us in?"

There was something in his tone that indicated it was not really a question so much as a polite announcement, and Sakura sensed that the politeness stemmed solely from the fact that this woman's daughter was missing.  For a moment, Sakura thought she was going to refuse.  Then she reluctantly backed away and led them through a short hallway, into a den of sorts.  A small man jumped to his feet when the two of them entered.  

"Syaoran!  How unexpected…"  Then his gaze too lit on Sakura, and his voice trailed off.  The lines in his face deepened as he scowled.  "You would bring a stranger into our midst at this time of suffering?"

Sakura cringed.

"Sakura is no stranger," Li replied icily.  "She's -"

"I know who she is," his uncle snapped.  Mrs. Li was taking her place by her husband's side now, both of them directing twin glares in Sakura's direction.  "She is not needed here."

"I say she is.  Now, we've come to examine Meilin's room.  If I need you, I'll call for you."  Sakura's eyes widened slightly at his suddenly imperious tone, but before she had time to wonder at it, Syaoran found his path blocked by his uncle.

"There is no need to see my daughter's room, Syaoran.  She was not taken from here, no one can fault our care."

"I know she wasn't taken from here.  I still want to see her room."  Mr. Li's wrinkles deepened again, and he gesticulated angrily.

"You abandon your family to live indefinitely in Japan with _this_," he waved a hand in Sakura's direction, "you forget your place and your obligations, and now you storm our home to demand clues for her absence?  By what reason can you justify this?  It did not happen here!  It was not our fault!  Whatever happened, that worthless girl managed it entirely on her own!"

Sakura gasped, and Li slammed his fist into the wall, which made the older man jump.

"I think it is you that forget your place, uncle.  Just because I reside in Japan now does not mean I've forgotten who I am in this family.  I know the way of things."

His eyes narrowed slightly, and Mr. Li actually grew pale before backing out of the way.

"Forgive my outburst, honorable nephew, I am crazy with worry for my daughter… I was not myself…"

"Fine, fine," Li muttered impatiently before sweeping past him and dragging Sakura in tow.  He said nothing until he'd pulled her through another doorway and slammed it shut behind them.  "Kami-sama, I hate dealing with those people.  They're the most bitter old carps I know.  I'm sorry for what they said to you."

Sakura nodded automatically, not so much concerned with their comments about her as she was for the other girl.

"How could he say that about his daughter?  It seems so harsh."  Li creased his brow in puzzlement as he crossed the room, then shrugged.

"Oh, _that_.  They always talk like that.  Don't worry about it.  Now, look around."

Sakura wasn't placated, but obediently she spun in a slow circle to take in Meilin's room.  It was not a typical girl's room, but it was what she would have expected of her friend.  There was a twin bed in the corner, the scarlet covers folded neatly down.  A shelf alongside contained several books, mostly a mixture of fantasy tales and martial arts tomes.  A few cookbooks rounded off the collection, including one devoted solely to baking cakes.  Chinese calligraphy had been painted, rather extensively, across the opposite wall.  She didn't understand it, but it looked like poetry.  The closet door stood ajar, revealing pressed and ironed clothes hanging up, and a small dresser.  The only other furniture beside the bed was a desk, pushed up next to the head of the bed so as to leave most of the room free for stretching.  Meilin had always been very neat, Sakura recalled, and felt a pang when she saw how tidily the schoolbooks had been stacked on the desk's surface.  Math was on top.  Like Sakura's desk at home, the shelf atop was lined with framed photographs.  Also like hers, Sakura noticed, the photos featured Syaoran, Tomoyo, herself, and Kero.  She couldn't see any of Meilin with her parents, and in fact could see no one at all that she didn't recognize.  Everyone there was from Tomoeda.

"What are we looking for?"  Li was combing impatiently through the things on Meilin's desk as she looked.  When he'd finished making a mess of her books and papers he opened her drawer and started pulling things out.  "Um, Syaoran?"

"It has to be just right," he muttered.  "Has to be just the right thing."  Distractedly he ran his fingers through his hair and glared at the heap he'd created.  The words he'd exchanged with his mother in the limo finally clicked, and Sakura blinked in comprehension.  He intended to perform his locating spell, the one he'd been unable to try when Tomoyo disappeared in their school.  

"But isn't your mother the one who taught you that magic?  She said she already tried it."

A challenging glare was his response.  "I'm the one closest to her, the spell will be stronger if I try it.  I can do it with these."  He brandished a pair of red ribbons, then turned back to the middle of the room.  "I gave her these ribbons years ago, she wears them all the time."

Then why isn't she wearing them now, Sakura wanted to ask, but held back.  Her boyfriend knelt in the center of the floor, eyes closed, his expression one of fierce concentration as he clutched at the thin strips of cloth.  She realized her hand was lying on the mess Li had dug out of the drawer.  Before she knew what she was doing she'd begun to leaf through them, noiselessly, without disturbing Li.

Right away she recognized the last letter she'd sent to Meilin.  As gently as possible she lifted it up, only to see a printout of the last email she'd sent her, and another one below that.  There was an entire stack of correspondence here, all between Tomoyo, Syaoran, and herself to Meilin.  Thrown carelessly on top of it all, which meant it must have been near the bottom, was a large brown paper envelope.  It was unsealed and Sakura felt guilty touching it, but Li was the one who'd taken it out.  And it was practically a matter of life and death.  

He was still meditating, not paying any attention to her.  Sakura slid her nail under the flap and lifted it up, peeking inside.  At first, she thought she was looking at a bunch of Monopoly money.  Then she remembered the color of Hong Kong's currency and realized she was looking at a lot of very real money, stacked and paperclipped carefully together.  Right next to Meilin's passport.

Somehow, she thought grimly, I doubt her parents knew this was here.  But it still doesn't make sense.  If her passport were missing, it would make sense.  But it's here.  It doesn't add up.

"Sakura?"

She swept the envelope back into its drawer and shut it, turning around just in time to see him open his eyes.  His shoulders sagged with disappointment and he shook his head.

"It's not- I can't.  The magic won't go anywhere, won't lead me to her.  It won't work."

He opened his fist and looked at the crumpled ribbons in disbelief, obviously distraught that his mother had been right.

"I'm sorry, Syaoran.  Why wouldn't your magic work?"

A menacing look swept away the vulnerability in his eyes and he clenched his fists again.  "It means that whatever's got her is powerful enough to deflect my spell."

Again fear bubbled up for her friend, but Sakura didn't feel inclined to panic.  Something about that envelope kept her from it.

"I'm sorry," she said again, and crossed the room to help him to his feet.  "But don't be too hard on yourself.  It wouldn't work for your mother, either."

He nodded reluctantly.  "I know.  But I was so sure that I could…"  He shook his head again, then hope flitted briefly across his face.  "But she is alive.  Spell told me that much at least."  

"That's wonderful.  We'll find her, I know it."  She embraced him in a comforting hug, and he squeezed her close.  "Syaoran?"

"Mm?"

"Did Meilin do that calligraphy?"

"Hai.  She told me she was starting on it a little after I moved back to Japan."

"She did a beautiful job.  It's difficult, right?"

"Very."  Finally he pulled away and took her hand, leading her toward the door.  "Why?"

"Just curious.  Seems like it would take a long time to do a whole wall like that."

"Yeah.  So?"

"Nothing.  I was just curious."

------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters

A/N: Meilin's parents are a couple of classy individuals, aren't they?  Hopefully now you're not so annoyed with her for running off and making everyone worry so much… she had her reasons after all!


	4. ch4 flying free

**Chapter 4**

**'flying free'**

Meilin watched the cigarette tremble as Eric tried to light it unsuccessfully.  Try though he did, he couldn't seem to generate a steady flame in his lighter.

"It's an unhealthy habit anyway," she pointed out, and he gave her a hunted look.

"Not you too.  Jessie was always harping on it as well.  Right now, I really need this to relax.  It's not every day one becomes a target for criminals."

He looked so shaken, and she really couldn't blame him.  The events of the past day were a little surreal to her too.

Without speaking, she took the lighter from his hand and pressed the latch, holding it up until his cigarette was lit and he could take a deep and grateful breath.  

"Thank you," he sighed, and blew the smoke out into the muggy evening air.  They were leaning against the railing of the fire escape outside the room, watching the activity below.

"Will you be all right?"

"Fine, fine.  Just a little, um, jumpy.  I keep seeing guys that look like them, and that's wearing, because here in Hong Kong there's a lot of guys that look like them."

"Yes."

She sounded so cool and collected, and Eric despised himself for sounding like such a wimp.  

"Damn, how can you be so calm about this?  This happen to you often, or what?"

"No, of course not.  But it's hardly the end of the world.  Men attack, I fight back.  It's something I know how to do, and so I do it."  To her, the fighting aspect wasn't nearly as disturbing as having just walked out on her family, but she could hardly explain that.  All she could do was shrug complacently, and then wince a little at the burst of pain in her shoulder.  Eric noticed right away.

"Whoa, did you hurt yourself?"

"It's nothing.  Just a few aches.  That concrete was very hard."

"Always is."  Eric stubbed out his half-finished smoke and turned to crawl back inside the window.  "Come on, I'll give you a massage."

"What?  Oh no, I couldn't."

"Seriously, come on, it's the least I can do."  He snagged her wrist and pulled her gently over the windowsill.  "It's what any decent guy would do for a girl that just got wailed on while fighting to save him.  Right?"

Meilin hesitated; this didn't seem very proper.  But probably no more so than sharing a room with a complete stranger for two nights in a row.

"Just sit down and relax.  Trust me, I'm good at this."

He pushed her gently down on his bed and sat behind her, moving her silky black hair to over her shoulder.  Though she was back in the same clothes, she'd just showered in the hostel's bathroom and smelled fresh and clean.  Her muscles were rigid under his hands, but he rubbed his fingers gently over her skin and exerted a slight pressure.

"Wow," she said after a few minutes.  "You really are good."

"What did I tell you?  I was on the swim team all through high school, and we all got really good at giving each other backrubs after practice.  It's a finely tuned art."  Not to mention a great way to get girls over the years.  Jessica had certainly been hooked.  He leaned forward slightly and inhaled her scent, wondering whether or not he should drop a light kiss on the back of her neck.  It was the perfect time; he should go for it.

But then he pictured an offended expression, a look of disgust or rejection, and her walking out the door.  He'd never been afraid before that a girl might reject him, but this was different.  The stakes were so much higher.  If Meilin left, he'd be fair game for his attackers.  So he played it safe and dropped his hands after a while, scooting away and hoping that his red face wasn't too visible in the dimly lit room.

"Thank you," she finally said after a long moment of silence.

"It was nothing."  She stretched her arms above her head and yawned, feeling more relaxed than she had in a while.  Eric really was quite good.

"You look beat.  Guess that was some fight."

"Most difficult opponent since I was ten," she said matter-of-factly.  "He's almost as good.  Well, maybe the same."

"Ten?  Who did you fight when you were just ten years old?"  She hesitated, not meeting his eyes.

"A girl in blue.  It's… difficult to explain."

"Yeah.  I get that."  He watched her stand up and cross the room to collapse onto her own bed with a tiny groan of pain.  "Uh, you beat her.  Right?"

"She pounded me flat."  She rolled over to face away from him.  "Would you mind getting the light?"

Eric did as he was told, plunging the room into relative darkness.  Flickering neon lights still blared through the window, and he paused to look out at Hong Kong once more.

I am _so_ screwed, he thought to himself.  Meilin's breathing was already becoming more regular and even, and he watched her lustrous black hair fall across the covers in the glow of the city.  

But hell, what else am I going to do?  She's all I got.  There's no one else.   

*****

"Hai, I'm fine, Onii-chan.  The flight was fine, the house is fine, everything is fine.  Nothing disastrous has happened yet."

"It's probably only a matter of time," her brother sniffed.  "I know you."

"How nice for you," she said wryly.  "I've called and checked in.  Can I go now?  I'm really tired."

"What room are you sleeping in?"

"The same room I always sleep in when I visit, Onii-chan.  And it's all the way down the hall from Syaoran's.  Relax, already."

"When are you coming home?"

"Onii-chan!  I just got here!  Would you mind giving me a chance to even look for Meilin before you start demanding my return?"

"Well, how long is it going to be?" he huffed impatiently.

"I don't know.  That's the point.  We're here to find Meilin and I cannot tell where she is and how long it's going to take to find her.  I've got almost two weeks before school starts again, there's nothing to worry about."

He said nothing, but she heard him make an unhappy noise in the back of his throat and take a breath, as if he were about to speak.  There was a muffled noise in the background, and the sound of the receiver being covered by someone's hand.  Now she could hear two voices arguing, and smiled to herself as she wandered through the door and out into the gardens of Syaoran's home.  As always, Yukito was intervening on her behalf.  She knew she could count on him.

"All right," Touya finally grouched.  "I guess it will be okay.  But you're calling and checking in every night, you hear?  I will be waiting, and if I don't hear from you I'll be coming down there too.  Got that?"

"Got it," she assured him, tipping her chin upward until she was looking up to the roof.  He was still there, as he had been for the past hour.  "I'll talk to you tomorrow.  Bye."

She hung up before he could delay her any longer, and set the phone down before clambering up the rainpipe to join her boyfriend.  She could have used the Jump Card, but every so often she liked to climb for the fun of it.

"Syaoran, it's almost one in the morning.  Why don't you go to bed?"

He opened his eyes and heaved a sigh, glaring at the brightly lit panorama before them.  This house had a beautiful view of Hong Kong and the harbor.

"I never noticed how much was out there," he despaired.  "It's a jungle of mysterious powers, latent forces, ancient and new magics vying for control.  It's impossible to get a bead on any one force."

"Kero-chan used to say the same thing.  I guess the city's retained a lot of its old mysticism."

"I feel some stuff, stronger and more dangerous than the rest, but Mother was right.  I'm not picking up any hostility directed towards us at all.  And nothing that seems capable of blocking my locator magic."  He waved his hand out to the night air.  "Really, it's just business as usual.  So what the hell happened?"

It was a rhetorical question, and Sakura could only shrug helplessly as they turned their gaze on the city lights.

"Clow couldn't have created a Find or a Search Card.  Oh no, he had to make a Sweet Card instead.  That's helpful."

"Syaoran, it'll be okay."  She covered his hand with hers.  "I said I'd help and I'm going to.  But neither of us can do anything when we're exhausted and irritable.  You're not thinking clearly.  Go to bed.  Tomorrow is another day."

"I won't be able to sleep, Sakura.  I keep seeing her.  All alone, helpless, totally cut off from everyone and at the mercy of something horrible.  It hurts," he choked.

"I know.  But you'll be able to sleep."

"No I won't."

"Yes," she said firmly.  "You will.  Even if I have to play dirty.  You will get your rest tonight."

It said a lot for Syaoran's fatigue that he didn't understand what she was talking about at first.  Then he remembered the Sleep Card and groaned.

"You wouldn't."

"I will.  And there's nothing you can do to stop me.  So come on.  Let's go back inside."

There was such determination in her eyes, and Syaoran hesitated only a moment longer before surrendering and giving a resigned nod.

"That's more like it."  She planted a light kiss on his cheek.  "Let's go."

----------------------------------------------------------

This time when Eric woke up, Meilin was already up and out of bed.  Blearily he watched her lean over to touch her toes, then stretch her arms over her head.  

"You make me feel like a sloth just watching you," he mumbled.

"So get up then."

He fumbled for his watch and held it up.

"You're kidding.  It's before noon?  I didn't think there _was a time before noon on vacations.  Forget it."_

Determinedly he buried his face in his pillow, but already he was too awake to drift back into slumber.  He sneaked a peek at Meilin, now moving into the splits and touching her chest to the floor.

"Do that every morning?"

"Most days, yes.  Followed by weapons training and shadowboxing, then finished with several repetitions of pushups and pull-ups."

He snorted into his pillow.  "Talk about an overachiever.  How boring.  What do you do all that junk for?"

She rested her chin in her hands and gave him a withering look.  "You're actually asking that, after what happened last night?"

"What – oh, right."  He closed his eyes again in brief despair.  Why did she have to bring that up?  "I completely forgot about that.  That's it, I'm not getting up."

"Don't be silly.  You're bound to get hungry eventually."

"I can go without food."

"Eric, you can't hide in bed for the rest of your vacation."

"Oh yeah?  Why not?"  At last he managed to push himself up to a sitting position, and scowled in her direction.  "There are nasty people out there that want to kidnap me for money, and probably make my life hell.  Call me crazy, but they don't look like the touchy feely kind of criminals.  I'd just as soon not give them that opportunity, thank you.  I'm staying put."

She pushed her legs together and hugged her knees to her chest as she stared down his scowl.

"Last night you were angry that these men might ruin your vacation.  How will staying in bed save it?"

Eric opened his mouth, then shut it again.  Damn, she did have a point.

"Trying to pretend a situation doesn't exist will never work.  Trust me.  You have to deal with it, even if it's scary."

"Oh, come on.  Who are you, Yoda?"

"Huh?"  She looked so confused that he had to smile.  "Who?"

"Never mind.  Fine, I'll get out of bed.  But I won't like it."

She shrugged.

"Whatever you say."

*****

He did look a little jumpy for the remainder of the morning, as well as through lunch.  When a waiter dropped a dish behind him, he rocketed out of his chair and nearly tipped over their own table.

"Eric."

"What?"

"I think you need to calm down."  His face was paper white and he was breathing heavily.  Everyone in the restaurant was staring at them.  "You're attracting attention to yourself."

He forced a nervous chuckle and sank back into his seat.  Now he could feel a blush spreading across his cheeks when he saw the way she was looking at him.  He was coming off like a complete wimp, and she looked so collected.  It was a little humiliating.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"There's no need to be sorry."  She sipped her tea and he gave her an envious look.  

"Meilin?"

"Hmm?"

"You're not, by any chance, enjoying this.  Are you?"

He knew he'd guessed right the second she met his eyes.

"Ah, well.  'Enjoy' is a strong word.  But it's nice to feel useful, I suppose."

"Great.  Swell.  Glad to oblige."  He buried his face in his hands and whimpered a little.  Never had a relationship taken such a turn for the worse in his life.  She would never respect him now.  And what girl liked a guy that she didn't respect?

"Have some of the spicy beef.  It's quite tasty."

He'd been picking at his food, but another glance at her placid expression convinced him.  Maybe he was freaked out more than he'd ever been in his life, but for the sake of his pride he could try and at least hide it.  He would put up a brave face for her.  

"You're right," he said after swallowing.  "It is good."

She allowed one of her rare smiles to emerge, and he gave a sincere grin in return.  She realized that he was trying, and that impressed her.  She did feel sorry for him, really.  He seemed so nice, completely undeserving of all this.  Meilin made up her mind right then that she would make sure nothing happened to him.  It was the least she could do.

Eric never had to work so hard at relaxing in his life, but as the afternoon progressed he realized that it was just too much effort to be nervous all the time.  He let Meilin take him on a tour through a couple of temples, then they wound up on a busy street corner for a frappuccino break.  

"What's that noise?"  On the far side of the intersection he thought he could see a shadowy alleyway with crowds of people going in and out.  A shrill cacophonous noise carried clearly across to the café.

"That's Bird Street."  A funny look crossed her face.  

"What's that?"

"It's a bird market; nothing special.  Tourist trap, really."

"Everybody looks Chinese to me," he pointed out, and she bit her lip.  "What?  Have a thing against birds?"

"Hardly."

"Well let's go check it out.  Now I'm curious."  He was more than curious.  Something about that place seemed to bother her, and he was more than interested in something that bothered that too-cool exterior.  She just shrugged.

"Fine, if you want to see it, we can see it."

"So enthusiastic!"

"I never signed on to be your personal tour guide."

"But you're doing a swell job of it," he teased, and she rolled her eyes.

"I've had practice.  You're not the first."

"What?"  But she was already crossing the road, and didn't reply.

*****

"This is really the best you could think of?" Kero sniffed, and Li shot him a glare.

"That's the tenth time you asked me that.  Do you mind?  Yes, this is the best that I could think of!"

"But we've been all over the city!  I'm tired."

"Tough.  We're scouting for magical power, and it can only be done one block at a time, on foot.  And why are you complaining anyway?  I've been letting you ride on my shoulder!"

"Not exactly a selling point," he griped, and rustled his wings in irritation.  With a little help from the Illusion Card, any casual onlooker would have only seen a white crested parakeet on Li's shoulder.  For Li, however, Kero's annoying fuzzy smirk was plainly visible, and he ground his teeth.

"You shouldn't be talking so much anyway.  Parakeets rarely carry on opinionated and pointless conversations with their owners."

"Well I don't see why we had to go through with this ridiculous illusion anyway.  I wanted to go with Sakura!"

"So did I.  But she said she wanted to work on her own, and so here we are.  So would you just pipe down?"

"You could have said no."

"Clearly," Li grunted, "you've never had a girlfriend."

Kero hmphed disdainfully, and they fell into a grouchy silence as Li continued up the block.  

"Ooh, a café!  Let's stop for scones, please?  Please?"

"No!  For the millionth time, you stupid stuffed animal, we're here to find my cousin.  This is not a pleasure trip!"

Someone nearby looked up, and he blushed before turning away.

"And you're doing such a terrific job," Kero drawled.  "Walk around and hope you can 'feel' something?  Good plan."

"I don't see you coming up with any brainstorms."

"Well there's got to be an easier way than this."

"There isn't," Li snapped.  "There's no hint of who may have done it, and there's no way of knowing even when she disappeared, let alone how.  My spell wouldn't work and she doesn't even have a magical aura that I can sense."

"You grew up with the girl.  Can't you sense anything of her?"

Li heaved a sigh and raked his fingers through his hair.  The afternoon was getting hotter and hotter, and his bangs were sticking to his forehead with sweat.

"I don't know.  Not really.  I never had to worry about finding her before.  Generally I was more concerned with hiding from her."

It hurt to say that, and he closed his eyes briefly.  All those wasted years, all that time when he took her presence completely for granted.  He'd give anything right now just to see her safe and sound.

"Hang on.  I think I'm picking up something."

"Of her?"

"No, nothing like that.  It's definitely some kind of magical power, but I can't tell if it's good or evil or somewhere in the middle.  Can't you feel it?"

"Maybe.  But it's no different than anything else I've sensed this morning.  This stuff is everywhere in this city, particularly the old parts."  He raised a paw to point.  "Look, there's Bird Street, right where Sakura first sensed Madoushi.  It could be anything."

"All the more reason to go check it out."

"Fine, get going already.  I'm not stopping you.  I'm just saying it will be a waste of time."

"Shut _up_."

"Wow, this place is so cool."  In the shade of the scarlet tent awning, Eric pushed his Oakleys up and smiled at her.  "I can't believe how many birds there are!"

"They're popular pets."

"No kidding?  I was always figured that whole 'walking the bird for air' was just another Asian myth.  It's really true?"

"I suppose so."

"Do you have one?"

"What?"  

"A bird."  Eric raised his eyebrows slightly at her startled expression.  After a few  moments she finally answered.

"Um, no.  I don't."

"Oh."  

Her eyes dropped and she leaned down to examine a brightly colored cockatoo in its cage.

"Poor little thing, all caged up.  I should have told him to just let her go.  Maybe she didn't want to come back."

Eric leaned in slightly, trying to hear what she was saying.  It was so noisy here, and she was speaking quietly.

"What?"

"Nothing."  She straightened a second before Eric did, and stepped away from the birdcage and its uncomfortable memories.   

And found herself looking directly at Li Syaoran.

Li was scanning the crowded marketplace when their eyes met, and his gaze traveled onward before his mind caught up and he snapped his head back.

There was no one there.

"Polly want a cracker?" Kero whistled again, taking pleasure in teasing the poor parakeet that had been leashed to its post.  "Hey, good lookin'.  What's happening?"

"Kero!" he gasped, rooted to the ground in shock.

"What?"

"I saw her!  She – she's here!"  He started pushing his way through the crowd, a flabbergasted 'bird' flapping to catch up.

"What?  Who?"

"Meilin!  Just a second ago, I saw her standing right there in the street!"

"Your imagination."

Li was breathing hard as he slowed down, turning in circles as he neared the red tent.

"No," he insisted.  "It was her.  She was looking right at me."

"Well, where is she then?"  

There was no sign of her.  

"I don't know."

Eric wasn't quite sure what had happened.  One second she'd been standing there, looking all tragic, the next she'd thrown herself against the tent post and pulled him close.  

"Hey -"

"Shh!"

"What?" he whispered.  "Is it Jingo and his gang?"

She didn't take the time to correct him.

"No," she hissed.  "No, it's nothing to be afraid of."  She tightened her grip on his shirt, keeping the tall blonde between herself and the rest of the crowd.  "Just – don't move."

"Hmm… this is interesting.  Somebody is looking scared."

"I'm not scared," she lied.

"Yeah right."  For a girl that could take on three attackers at once without batting an eye, she looked petrified.  She was peeking around his arm now, looking at something.  He was dying to turn around and see, but being this close to her had its own attractions as well.  He leaned in closer and brushed her ear with his mouth.

"Hiding from someone?"

"Maybe."

"Who?"

"It's complicated."  She followed Li with her eyes over Eric's shoulder, watching him wander closer.  He looked confused; she could see it.  He had definitely spotted her, she was sure, but he might brush it off as his imagination if she could just keep hidden.

What was he doing here anyway?  And with a bird on his shoulder?  Of all people, why did he have to be here?

He was just a few steps away from Eric when he snapped at the bird that he wasn't seeing things, and to shut the hell up.  

So that's it.  It's Kero in disguise.  I should have known.  Sakura must be here too.  They're all here.  Oh god, what am I doing?

Meilin whimpered and rested her head against his chest, causing Eric to swallow and clear his throat a little.  

"But I saw her," Li protested again, beginning to feel less sure of himself.  

"Sure you did, kid."

"I did!  She was right here, and she looked at me and I think she saw me too.  She looked surprised."

"Look, kiddo, I thought the br- Meilin was in the clutches of some horrible sorcerer.  She wouldn't exactly be wandering around Bird Street, now would she?"

"Well… no."

"And even if she was, it's not like she would see you and then run off, right?"

"No," Li admitted grudgingly.  

"You're just hallucinating," Kero surmised.  "Picturing what you can't see for real.  Maybe it's time we took a break, okay?"

Li shuffled a little as he paused beside a blonde tourist.  He couldn't explain it precisely, but there was something that was calling at him, telling him not to walk away.  But the stuffed animal was right; Meilin was nowhere here and probably never had been.  He was becoming delirious with fear and overwork.  

"Fine.  We'll stop for a drink.  I guess I need it."

"Finally."

With supreme reluctance, Li backed away and then turned to retreat past the tents.  He never saw the tourist wrap his arms around Meilin and squeeze her comfortingly.  For the first time since the night she'd rescued him, Eric saw her as a girl who could be vulnerable and scared.  She wasn't untouchably fearless after all.  In an instant he forgot all his own fears in concern for her.

"It's okay," he murmured, and held her close.  "You're okay."

No I'm not, she thought miserably, but didn't say anything out loud.  I'm lost, and I'm so confused.  I hid from Syaoran!  What's wrong with me?  Why did I hide?

It's not too late.  I could go after him right now, explain everything.  He might be angry with me, but at least he'd be relieved.  I should go find him.

But she didn't move, just stood still and let Eric hold her.  

Li stuffed his hands in his pockets and left Bird Street, an unhappy mixture of frustration and fatigue.  He didn't see the man with the red band over his brow until it was too late, and he stumbled backward from the painful collision.

"Gomen – I mean, excuse me," he quickly corrected himself.  The other Chinese man scowled, and instinctively Li tensed.  They traded glowers for a moment, then the stranger brushed past him, followed by a few others.  They were headed right where he'd just come from, and for a moment he was tempted to follow.  There was something about that group that didn't feel quite right.

"Kid!  Are we getting a drink or what?  C'mon, I'm thirsty!"  When he didn't respond immediately, the beast of the seal clamped his teeth down on Li's ear, making the teen yelp and leap into the air.

"Ouch!  Stop that!"

"Had to get your attention.  Now come on, I wanna frappuccino!"

"You're not getting one out of me."  Li rubbed his smarting ear and tried to swallow a groan.  Why did Sakura have to be so cruel, anyway?  No one deserved this!

"Sakura said you have to," Kero taunted.  "I'll tell if you won't!"

"Fine, fine!  Just keep your teeth to yourself.  Stupid mangy stuffed animal…"

"I heard that!"

"Yeah?  Whatcha gonna do about it?"

Li forgot about his minor encounter as they bitched their way across the street.  All he could think of was getting home and getting rid of Kero's cursed presence.

*****

Sakura bit her lip as she drew closer to the forbidding gates of the Li home.  She really did feel bad about insisting that Kero and Syaoran work together.  She knew one was very likely to injure the other before the day was out.  But it couldn't be helped; she had her reasons.  

"Jump."  Wings sprouted on her shoes and she leapt lightly to the top of the wall.  She was still a little nervous about this; she'd have a heck of a time explaining herself if she got caught.  But she had to go for it now; it would be time to meet with Syaoran back at his home soon, and she needed to do this alone.

The sun rested easily in the late afternoon sky, casting the estate in its golden light.  No one seemed to be about; perhaps they were taking tea.  It was just as well.  Adroitly she sprang for the nearest rooftop, then the next and the next until she found Meilin's parents' dwelling.

**  

Eric thought he could feel her shivering, despite the humid and close atmosphere, and drew away slightly so he could see her face.  Her eyes were dry, but there was a conflicted, tortured look in them that made him cringe.  

"Meilin?"  She didn't reply.  "Meilin, who was it?"

It must have been someone really awful, he thought.  She looked so wrenched, so desperate.  So in need of comfort…

He was already leaning in before it consciously occurred to him to kiss her, but he never had a chance to carry through.  

"I'm so good at interrupting these moments," Jing Kun said apologetically, "aren't I?"  Both of them stiffened, and Eric pulled away with a resigned sigh.  

"Not you again," he groaned.  How were these guys even finding them?  "What do you want?  Can't you go pick on some other rich kid?"

He sneaked a sideways glance at Meilin and saw that she'd pulled herself together in an instant; there was no trace of the turmoil that had been so vivid earlier.  

"Oh, but we like you," Jing Kun answered cheerfully.  His cronies were spreading out again, drifting casually to the tents and stands nearby.  Because of their position, the two couldn't be literally surrounded, but Eric had the uneasy feeling they were being penned in.  "You strike me as being _fun_."

Eric almost gulped at the nasty inflection, but he kept his game face on and lifted his chin.

"Hey man, don't make me make Meilin kick your ass."

Those black eyes sought Meilin and stayed on her face, glittering with desire.

"I'm ready any time she is."

"A little public, isn't it?" Meilin queried.  

"I could have said the same for you two.  What, couldn't wait to get a room?"  Eric reddened at the snickers all around, and nearly kicked himself.  How could he be more obvious?  Meilin didn't seem to get it at all and just looked puzzled.

"Look," Eric snapped, trying to cover his embarrassment, "I don't know how you found us, or why you're so fixated on me.  But even you must realize that it would be idiotic to start something here.  There's a hundred people in this street."

"Indeed," Jing Kun agreed, still staring at Meilin.  "So many people, so crowded."  He raised a finger and pointed toward his guy on the far right, who moved even closer to an elderly customer.  "Hardly have to reach out at all to find our nearest victims.  We're all pretty good, you know.  Any one of us can break a neck in under five seconds.  Imagine how much the four of us could do in just a minute."

Eric inhaled sharply, but Meilin said nothing.

"I mean, imagine the panic that would ensue.  People might riot.  A lot of folks could get hurt, not to mention the poor little birdies.  Police would get here right quick, sure, but I think they'd have a problem just getting through the mess, let alone finding us.  And gwei lo here might even disappear in all the confusion."  He paused, watching her expression, and slowly smiled.  "So, firecracker.  What's it going to be?"

**

The sun was no longer in the western sky.  Instead it was directly overhead, beating down with its warmth.  The grounds and sky were suffused with the same pale lavender that had appeared when she first met the Return Card.  Like before, everything was still and quiet.  Sakura waited patiently, and after a few moments a door slammed beneath her.

There was a quiet giggle, then a metallic sound, like something being unclasped.  Sakura crept to the edge of the roof and peeked over.

A young girl with long black pigtails was skipping forward from the porch, holding something carefully against her chest.  She leaned down and murmured something in Chinese that was far too quick for Sakura to catch, her Cantonese being marginal at best.

But she did recognize that dress.  How could she ever forget, that last day of summer vacation?  Meilin had taken them all by surprise.  

"I don't need you anymore," the girl below said in almost perfect Japanese, louder.  "We both get to fly."

She held out her hands and opened them, revealing a twittering bundle of feathers.  After a moment, the bird flapped her wings and took off, quickly disappearing in the treetops. 

Sakura almost cried out in surprise, but clamped her mouth shut just in time.  

Meilin loved that bird.  I never asked what happened to it.  She just let it go?

"Got rid of it?" inquired an impatient voice.  The woman Sakura had met the night before emerged from below, lugging a suitcase.  

"Yes, Mother."  

"Finally.  Nasty, dirty creature.  I never did like it, and I think my sister knew that when she gave it to you."

She dropped the suitcase on the lawn and leaned over to fuss with Meilin's dress, straightening it.  Meilin's smile had slipped away as her mother spoke, and now she clasped her hands behind her back and looked down.

"Well, that's as good as it gets, I suppose," Mrs. Li sighed, and stood up.  "It's almost time for you to go.  Do you understand what an honor this is?"

"Yes Mother."

"Do you?  I doubt it.  This is your chance to redeem yourself to the family.  A chance to prove yourself worthy."  

"Yes Mother."

"This is your best opportunity to curry Syaoran's favor.  You know important it is to us."

"Yes Mother."

"I mean it."  She took Meilin's chin in her hand and gripped it fiercely, her glare becoming threatening.  "This is your chance to make something of yourself.  Surprise me and don't screw this up."

"My lady," called a polite new voice, and Sakura saw a servant standing by a car in the drive.  "It's time to leave."

"At last," Mrs. Li grunted.  She pushed the suitcase into Meilin's arms and reminded her of posture.  "Don't let anything get in the way of you and him.  You can't afford it; you're worth nothing without him.  Remember that."

She turned on her heels and strode briskly back into the house, without so much as a hug or even a goodbye.  Meilin hugged her suitcase to her chest and sent one last look at the trees before running to the car.

**

Meilin was holding his hand lightly, not lacing their fingers in case she had to let go quickly.  They were being herded now, guided down the remainder of Bird Street.  Eric's palm was sweating a little, but he didn't look ready to panic.  He must have pushed back his fear.  That was good.  Now if she could just do the same for herself.

Jing Kun's breathing behind her was light and steady, but it sounded like a turbulent roar in her ears.  He was better than any human she'd ever fought, and she couldn't be sure his henchmen would hold back this time.  Her adrenaline was pumping hard, her heart beating fast.  

The two men before them turned into a little alleyway off to the left.  

"If you please," Jing Kun asked politely.  Meilin nodded and motioned for Eric to go in first, then followed.  It was just a tiny corridor between buildings that would end soon, she could see by the light up ahead.  When they came out in that light, the two would be surrounded.  That she could not allow to happen.

**

The sun was closer to the horizon now, it was approaching evening.  The exact same car was pulling up the drive now, coming to a slow stop.  A rather pale-looking Meilin emerged from the back, clutching that same suitcase and wearing another flowered dress.  Sakura remembered that outfit too; this was Meilin's return from Japan.  She didn't quite understand how the Return Card did this, but like in the shrine with her brother and Mizuki-sensei, it just seemed to know what to show her.  

There was no hint of the brave smile Meilin had been wearing in the Tokyo airport earlier that day.  She trudged to the porch under Sakura and opened the door.

"Tadaima – I mean, I'm home," she called out.  "Mother?  Father?"

There was no reply, and the door shut.  Sakura hurried over the roof.  Like most of the buildings here, there was a skylight over the living room.  She'd noticed it the evening earlier.  

"Erase," she said softly, and soon the glass barrier had disappeared.

"Mother, I'm home -"

"I can see that," answered a crisp voice.  "Sit down."

"It's…" Meilin tried falteringly.  "Good to see you."

"Really?" her father asked dangerously.  "You like it, that you're back home?"

"Well, I -"

"You like it, that the family decided you were unworthy, and had to order you back to Hong Kong?"

The first of their attackers was almost in the light.  Meilin stumbled forward as if she'd tripped, yanking Eric's backpack down from his shoulders and jamming her foot right into the back of his knee.  He wasn't very stoic about pain, and uttered a startled yelp before crashing to his knees.  He wasn't even totally down before Meilin was rolling up and over his back, bringing her heel sharply down on the shoulder blade of the man in front of her.  Eric's backpack was still in her hands and she twisted to throw it in Jing Kun's face before delivering a solid back kick behind her.  There was a muffled grunt as the first man toppled into the one in front of him and both went sprawling.  

"Tuck and roll!" she shouted, grabbing Eric's shirt and rolling onto her back.

"What?" was all he had the chance to ask before she was bracing her feet under his stomach and pushing up, throwing him backward.  There wasn't a chance that he would remember to tuck his head in and roll gracefully to a halt on the hard cement, but the two attackers behind Meilin thoughtfully broke his fall.  They all hit the ground in a tangled heap, and she leapt lightly over the bodies before Jing Kun could recover and strike.  On the way she snagged Eric and dragged him to his feet.

"That hurt!"

"Hey, I'm a little outnumbered here.  I'm going to need your help, so get over it!"  Now they were in a wider alleyway between buildings, one that had more daylight filtering in from above.  Long lines of laundry crisscrossed the open space above their heads.  At least now they were no longer surrounded, but the danger was far from over.  Jing Kun was springing off the backs of his men and leaping right for her.

"Idiot, clumsy girl.  What did I say when you left for Japan?"

"That this was my chance to redeem myself to the family," Meilin answered softly.

"And did you?"

"I did the best I -"

"No!  The elders determined from Syaoran's reports that you were no help at all!  And that you even made some captures more difficult!"

"But I -"

"Don't talk back to me!  All you had to do was make yourself marginally useful, and you couldn't even do that!"  He slammed his fist on the table in anger, and she cringed.  "Now he's alone in Japan with that – that witch that's taking all the Cards.  How did you fail to keep even her away?"

"Sh-she was very nice," Meilin managed, then flinched again when her father jumped to his feet.

"Don't talk back to me, girl, I know my place.  Apparently you've forgotten yours.  You're nothing in this family; you know that!  You're an aberration, a Li born with no magic!  You have no use to the elders, no practical value.  And now even Syaoran is losing his interest in you.  What worth do you have left?"

She was ready for Jing Kun and twisted slightly to throw him against the opposite brick wall.  Without even glancing backward she sensed the next attack and leaned slightly to the left, trapping the man's wrist and pulling him over her shoulder.  Before she had time to think about it, she was bracing her foot against his shoulder and cracking his wrist.  He screamed in pain as someone else tackled her from behind, trying to put her in a chokehold.  She elbowed him in the ribs, but he had a solid grip and she felt her air being cut off.  Then he grunted in pain as Eric struck his ear and dragged him off.  Kung fu or not, Eric still knew how to throw down, street hockey-style, and he kept a tight grip on the man's hair before slamming him face first into the brick wall.

Meilin turned just in time to see the fourth man whip out a switchblade, and she kicked it from his hand before using her momentum to spin around and plant a kick right in his chest.  He wheezed and stumbled a little before Jing Kun caught him and struck him irritably on the back of his head.

"Moron!" he snapped.  "Didn't I say there would be none of that?"  He gave an impatient snarl before pushing him off and skipping into a high turning kick aimed at Meilin.  She blocked it, wincing at the recoil through her arm, and counterattacked.  

"Ah me," mourned the woman.  "My younger sister had five magical children and a son to assume the leadership.  Why did I have to be cursed with just one useless girl-child?  What have I done to deserve this burden?"

She shook her head in sorrow, paying no attention to her daughter's expression.

"And now you're back, to remind me of it every day.  Tell me why I shouldn't be angry at you, girl, give me a reason."

"I promise to train harder," Meilin pleaded.  "Syaoran is still promised to me, I know he won't forget about me."  Sakura could detect the faintest hint of self-doubt in her tone, but knew she was clinging to her last hope.  

"You'd better be right," her father snarled.  "Or you won't have anything left.  On your own, you are nothing but a stupid, worthless female.  I'm tired of this conversation.  Go to your room and unpack.  Dinner is in an hour, and it had better be good."

His attacker slumped to the ground and Eric stepped over him to grab his backpack.  The one holding his wrist looked like he might still try something, so Eric swung the heavy load right into his face.  He grunted and stumbled back, and Eric struck mercilessly at the injured hand.

"So there," he snapped.  "That's what you get."  The man's face was frozen in pain and hate as he crumpled against the wall and slid down, holding his hand to his chest.  He didn't seem to be a threat anymore, but Eric kept an eye on him anyway as he backed away.  Meilin was still trading blows with Jing Kun and the other one, striking and blocking at a frantic pace to keep up.  He was wondering if he should try to assist when she crouched to dodge a high kick and then sprung straight up, grabbing a thin clothesline overhead.  Her kick caught Jing Kun solidly in the chin and he was knocked off his feet, thrown clear back.  Eric almost cheered, but the other one behind Meilin was still a danger.  He needn't have worried.  The stupid and worthless female was already swinging her body up and over the clothesline, out of range.  He ducked to the side and out of her way, and Meilin felt the thin rope snap from her weight.  She bent her knees and landed gracefully on her feet, clothesline still in hand.  When he attacked with an axe kick, she was ready and trapped his ankle before grabbing his shirt and tipping him back onto the ground.  As she moved, the clothesline followed her hand until she'd wrapped his ankle to his neck and then tied it neatly to his belt loop.  Leaving him effectively hogtied and rolling across the ground in frustration, she backed away and appraised her new situation.  One injured, one tied, one unconscious, and Jing Kun coming to with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Son of a _bitch_, that hurt," he griped, and climbed to his feet.  "Just who trained you, anyway?"

She planted her hands on her hips.  "Wouldn't you love to know?"

He wiped a little blood from his mouth and smiled.

"You're even better than I thought.  Hot damn, and I didn't think he would be a challenge at all.  You are turning this into something really special, you know that?"

He licked a stray drop of blood from his lips as she watched, and her insides gave an uncomfortable twinge.

"Just stay away from him," she stated flatly.  "Leave him alone."

"Not a chance.  I'm hooked now, firecracker.  See you soon."  He pressed his fingers to his lips and turned them toward Meilin, who just looked away and grabbed Eric's hand.

"Now's our chance.  Come on."

Together the two of them sprinted back towards civilization.

**

It was mid-afternoon, as best as she could tell.  Once again she was perched on the edge of the rooftop, looking out over the grounds.  Meilin was smiling, but holding back tears, as she reached forward to embrace Syaoran in a final hug.

"I'm so glad Auntie is allowing you to return," she murmured.  "You must be so happy."

Syaoran nodded, unable to hide his grin.

"I've been dreaming of this moment for two years," he sighed.  "For a while I thought it would never happen.  But now I can go back and see her every day.  She's so excited.  It'll be great."  He squeezed Meilin's hand in a friendly way.

"You'll be coming up for the summer vacation soon, right?"

"Of course," she said immediately.  "Wild horses couldn't keep me away.  It'll be so much fun."

"And we'll be down for the Christmas after that," he promised.  "Write often, okay?"

"I will."

He dropped a kiss on her forehead, then stooped to pick up his bag.  She stood and waved as the car pulled out of the driveway, and he blew her a kiss from the window.  Long after the car had disappeared from view, she remained; standing still and watching the sun go down.  

It was only when the shadows had engulfed the entire estate that she turned and went back inside her home.

"He left?"

"He's gone."

"Well," her mother sniffed.  "Isn't this interesting?  Back off to Japan to live with the precious Card Mistress.  Apparently forgetting about that promise to you!"

"He didn't forget, Mother.  I released him from it."

"You – you what?"

"I -"

"You freed him from his obligation willingly?  How could you?  He was our one chance at status in the family!"

"I know," Meilin answered softly.  "But he loves her.  He doesn't love me."

"Love?  What silly tripe are you talking about?  How can you be so calm about this?  You've lost Syaoran after all!  You failed at everything, you stupid, useless, burden of a girl.  Get out of my sight!  I can't even look at you right now!"

The door slammed, and Sakura ran lightly across the roof and jumped to the grass outside Meilin's window.

She was locking her bedroom door behind her, and leaning her head back against the wood.  It looked as if she was trying to control herself, and after a long minute she somehow succeeded.  Taking a deep breath, she sat on her bed and carefully unwound her long pigtails, until her hair was swinging free.  Sakura had never noticed how glossy and thick her hair was, always tied up like it was.  After a minute of brushing out the tangles, she pulled her desk chair to the corner of the room and opened a small tin of black paint.  Taking a brush, she balanced carefully atop the chair and began the first strokes of calligraphy.  

---------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters


	5. ch5 and high

Chapter 5 

**'…and high'**

Meilin couldn't stop laughing at Eric's expression that evening.

"Come on.  It's not that bad, is it?"

He shot her a cynical look before exaggeratedly limping across the street.  

"You threw me into two other guys.  After crippling me and crawling on top of me, that is.  Tell me there was another way, please."

"There wasn't.  We were seriously outnumbered and outmaneouvered.  Using you was the only way I could think of to get us out."  She gave him a sympathetic smile.  "Besides, don't you feel better that you helped?  I couldn't have done it without you."

"Well…"  Eric replayed the scene in his head, and paused for a moment at the scene when he pulled the guy off her back.  "Hey, I did help, didn't I?"

"You did."

"Hey, you're right!  And I totally kicked some ass too!  That guy with the wrist will think twice next time."  He perked up considerably and grinned.  "Of course, I was nothing compared to the all-mighty Queen of Kickass.  You were amazing.  Unstoppable.  Perfect in every way."

He took her hand and pressed his lips to it, bowing in a courtly manner.  She blushed and pulled her hand away.

"Don't be silly, Eric.  I was only doing what I had to do."

He knew that that fight must have been at least a little scary for her, but she was shrugging off his praise again.  It seemed she was uncomfortable receiving compliments for her fighting ability.

He came to a stop at the railing by the water and shot her an inquisitive look.

"What?"

"That first night, when we met.  Why didn't you say anything when I was talking to you?  You let me go on for quite a while."

"Oh."  She looked out over the harbor.  "You took me by surprise.  I was… deep in my thoughts, dwelling on something else.  I was so surprised that someone was talking to me that I didn't respond."  Her mouth turned up into a little smile.  "And then after a while it just became funny to hear you talk."

"So glad that I could entertain you," Eric muttered, and leaned back to get a better look at her face in the dusky light.  "Surprised that someone was talking to you, huh?  What, does that not happen often?"

It seemed a little hard to believe, considering the way she looked.  Something in her eyes looked uncomfortable now, and she shrugged.

"You're not used to people paying attention to you, are you?"

Her eyes flew open with surprise and she took a step back.

"What?"

"Ha!  I knew it!  That's why you're so surprised whenever I compliment you.  That's why you were shocked that somebody was even talking to you that night.  And that's why you're so into Jing Kun.  Am I right?"

Meilin had to remember to close her mouth as he spoke, and at that last part she spluttered a little.  

"What?"

"Please.  Don't play innocent with me.  I've seen enough Bond movies to know what was going on."  Eric fished out his pack of cigarettes and lit one up.  "You were having spar-sex with him."

Now Meilin was totally lost.  How had the conversation ever gotten to this point?

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Now _he's_ somebody that's definitely paying attention to you.  And you are loving it."  He exhaled a cloud of smoke into the muggy evening, looking a little frustrated.  Meilin just threw up her hands and started walking.

"Baka."

"Hey!" Eric automatically rejoindered, before his mind caught up.  "What does that mean?  I know that can't be something good."  He groped for his tattered phrasebook and started leafing through it, trying to read and walk at the same time.  Meilin had to hide a smile.

"You're not going to find it in a Chinese phrasebook."

"Well now, come on, tell me what it means!  Please?"

"No.  You deserved it."

"It was only the truth."

"You don't know what you're talking about!  There was nothing going on back there!"

"Says you…"

"Baka!"

*****

Li and Kero had been trading glares in the kitchen for a full ten minutes before Sakura finally arrived.

"Your stupid animal bit me on the ear!" he griped, before Kero could get in first.

"He wasn't paying any attention to me, and needed a good dose of reality besides.  Your pathetic boyfriend was so busy chasing illusions he wasn't even watching where he was going!"

"I'm telling you, I saw her there!"

"Sure you did," Kero sniffed.  "Sure you did."

Sakura looked up for the first time.  "You saw Meilin?"  

Li shuffled his feet a little.  "Well, for just a second in Bird Street, I thought I did.  Then she disappeared, but she looked so real…"  His voice trailed off as he looked at her face more closely.  "Have you been crying?"

"What?"  Sakura dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve and tried to blink the tears away.  "No, not really, I -"

"Yes you have."  He was on his feet in an instant, wiping away her tears and dropping a kiss on her forehead.  "I'm so sorry, Sakura, I've been selfish.  Here I was fretting and worrying myself to death, and I completely forgot about you.  She's your friend too."

Sakura gave him a very rare, and therefore wrenching, look of misery.  

"Not good enough," she whispered.  "I wasn't that good a friend to her."

"What?  What did you say?"  Li frowned quizzically, and Sakura shook her head.  She could never explain what she had witnessed that afternoon, those horribles scenes she'd forced herself to watch.  How could they have all been so blind?

"Nothing."  She disengaged herself from his arms and backed away.  "I have to go call my brother and check in; he'll be worried."

"But -"

"Why don't you get some dinner started, or something?"  She flashed him an insincere smile.  "I haven't eaten all day."

As predicted, that immediately got Kero going.

"Wai!" he cheered.  "I want lo mein!  Lo mein!  Lo mein!  Lo -"

"Fine," Li snapped.  "I get it.  Lo mein it is.  Just to shut you up."  He blew his bangs out of his eyes in frustration and sent another worried glance at the doorway, but Sakura was already gone.  What had she meant by that?

*****

Eric reached out and snagged a dress off its rack as they walked past the street vendor.

"Hey, how about this?"

"For your sister?"

"No, for you."

"Eric, I told you no.  I don't need it, I don't want it, and I can't even be wearing something like that."  She indicated the long sleeveless sundress he held with a disdainful wave of her hand.  "Impossible to move in it."

"Insubstantial argument," Eric countered.  "Come on, we've never been attacked twice in one day yet.  You've punched the clock, you're good to go.  Wear a damn dress for once.  It won't kill you.  It's red, even.  Your favorite color."

She looked a little taken aback.

"How did you know red was my favorite color?"

"I didn't."  He winked.  "But now I do."  He pressed the dress in her hands and reached for some spare change in his pocket.

"Eric!  I said no!"

"Don't argue with me, missy."

"But -"

"Shh."

"I -"

"Shh."  He grinned as he placed a finger over her lips.  "I got a whole bag of 'shhs' here, and I'm not afraid to use 'em."

Predictably, she just looked puzzled.

"What?"

"Never mind.  Jeez, my Hollywood humor is so wasted on you.  It's like pearls before swine."

"Hey!"

"And, oh look, the money has changed hands."  He backed away from the vendor with a triumphant grin.  "You wouldn't desicrate the holy transaction of capital and goods, would you?"

Meilin opened her mouth with an argumentative look in her eyes, then glanced from his capering glee to the pleased expression of the saleswoman.  She was cornered, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.  Eric raised his fists above his head in victory.

"He shoots, he scores!"  Feeling good, feeling pleased, he took a light skip forward and jumped into the air, pantomiming a slam dunk.  "And the net swishes!"

Meilin crossed her arms and gave him a wry look.

"You are unlike anyone I've ever known."

"Believe me when I tell you," he assured her.  "That I can say the exact same thing for you."

Both fell quiet, staring into one another's eyes.  Then a passerby bumped into Eric's arm and he was forced to break the eye contact.  When he looked up again, her eyes were averted.  The moment was gone, again.

"Um, I'm starting to get hungry again.  Let's find a room and get cleaned up, then we can catch dinner.  Cool?"

"Cool?"

"I mean, okay?"

"Oh."  She offered him a tentative smile.  Was it his imagination, or did she look a bit disconcerted?  Was he finally starting to break through?  "Yes, that would be nice."

"Great.  Let's go."  He held out his hand in a noncomittal way, but she ignored it and brushed past him to walk ahead.  He made the tiniest of groans in the back of his throat and let his hand drop before following her.  Okay, so there was still a while to go.  But a guy had to start somewhere.

Upstairs, he returned to their room from the men's showers before she was finished, and began rooting around in his backpack for a fresh T-shirt.  He was down to the last one; he would have to do laundry tomorrow.  He had to smile as he dug through extra shirts, another hairbrush, and other various feminine items.  The space in his pack that had originally been reserved for souvenirs was gradually filling up with her things.  Somehow, even with him bouncing around from place to place, she'd managed to move in.  Girls all over the world must have that ability, he reasoned, as he climbed out onto the fire escape for a quick smoke.  

It was a few puffs before he realized he could hear something over the noisy traffic beneath them, but when he strained his ears he thought he caught a snatch of melody.

Was someone singing?  He crawled to the very end of the landing and settled himself against the brick wall, exhaling contentedly.

Yes, someone was singing; the bathroom window for the women's showers was only a few feet further on.  They weren't any words he recognized, and he surmised that it was some Chinese song.  It didn't matter.  Sometimes it was nice to just sit back and listen without understanding.  She finished one song and then another before turning off the water, and he stubbed his cigarette out on the railing without moving to go back inside.  At length she leaned out of the window to look for him.

"There you are.  Are you ready for dinner?"

"You even sing like a bird."

The fire escape went absolutely quiet at that, and he wondered if he'd said something wrong.

"Y-you could hear that?"

"Sure could.  It was great," he answered cheerfully, then looked more closely at her face.  "What?  Somebody's told you that before, right?"

It was impossible to read her expression.  For a long moment, it looked as though she wanted to smile, but then she gave up and disappeared into the room.

"Hey, wait up!"  Quickly he scrambled back to the sill and through the window.  She had her hand on the door knob, her freshly washed hair falling like a curtain to conceal her face.  "What?  What did I say?"

She looked over her shoulder, a haunted look in her eyes.

"You think I have a nice voice?"

"Of course.  People must tell you so all the time."

"No," she murmured.  "You're the first."

"Oh."  He stuffed his hands in his pockets and tried to keep his gaze neutral.  This must be more of that neglect that he was starting to pick up on.  Some things were beginning to make a lot of sense, but so much was a mystery.  Why would anyone neglect someone as beautiful and talented as she was?  Who could possibly ignore someone like her?  

His thoughts traveled back to the Bird Street encounter, and he wondered again just whom she'd been hiding from.

"Eric."

"Speaking."

"You're… staring at me.  Is there something you were going to say?"

"Uh."  He flushed as he realized that he had indeed been staring.  "Yeah.  But I forgot."

He wanted to ask, wanted to understand what was going on there beneath the surface.  But he was afraid probing would only irritate her again.  He couldn't afford to lose her, not now. 

"But you really can sing.  Now let's go to dinner."

And he ushered her out the doorway.

*****

"Sakura?"  Halfway out the door, she jumped guiltily and turned at the calm and gentle voice.  Yelan glided closer and clasped her hands together in an inquisitive posture.  "No luck today?"

"Good evening, Yelan-san.  No, there was no sign of her.  But we'll keep trying."

She took a step back, her hands behind her, but there was no hiding anything from this woman.  

"You did more than search today.  Didn't you?"

Grimacing, Sakura nodded.  "It was wrong; I know it.  But I had to see.  I had to know.  I don't know why I never wondered before."

"Perhaps you feel, as I do, that there is more going on here than what it seems."

Again Sakura nodded.  "I can't explain it; there's no rational evidence that points to it.  But I just have this feeling that we're looking at the situation all wrong."  She brought out her Cards from behind her back and thumbed them in a resigned way.  "I just thought maybe I'd see if they were giving up any hints."

"Without Syaoran?"

Sakura winced a tiny bit.  "He's a little fragile as it is.  I don't want to get his hopes up.  I can't believe how this is tearing at him; he's coming undone."

Yelan gave a slow nod.

"Guilt can be ravaging.  Come, let us see what they have to say."

She swept past Sakura before the younger woman had a chance to ask her what she had meant, and led her into the small private garden behind the house.  The bright new full moon had cast it in silver, as clear and bright as daylight.  A tiny spring breeze rustled the shrubbery, and Yelan dropped to her knees by the flowerbeds.  Sakura turned away from the glittering view of downtown and sat across from her.

She'd used the Cards in this way before, though never for a request like this.  She felt nervous trying it in front of this wise and experienced woman, but Yelan merely produced her fan and began to wave it in time to a steady chant.  The softly murmured rhythm was soothing, and Sakura closed her eyes as she began to shuffle.

First, a thorough mixing.  Then the three separate stacks, then another thorough mixing.  Finally she began to arrange them in a diamond shape on the grass between them, using only her left hand.

"Cards created by Clow, transformed by myself, answer my query."

They began to glow faintly, reflecting the starlight back at them.  Sakura could feel the power shift within them.

"Show us where my friend is.  Tell us the whereabouts of Meilin."

After a long moment, with the rustling bushes and Yelan's hum the only sounds audible, the Cards ceased to glow.  She leaned forward and flipped over the top.

"Fight," she read aloud.  "It's Meilin."

Yelan nodded.  Next her fingertips brushed over the three Cards across the middle.  These should reveal where she was.  Would it work?  Almost trembling with anticipation, she turned over the first.

"Change."  Hmm.  "Power," she said next.  "And Light," was the third.  Change, Power, and Light.  What could that mean?  She could see by Yelan's expression that the older woman was no less confused.

"It doesn't exactly sound dangerous," she said hopefully.

"Read the bottom Card," Yelan instructed, and Sakura reached for the Card on the bottom of the stack.  This would reveal the desire of whomever had taken Meilin away.

"It's Fly," she reported, a little surprised.  "What does it mean?"

Silence was her only reply.

"Change, Power, Light… what does that mean?  What does any of it mean?"  She was asking rhetorically, and only the breeze answered.  "Damn!  Another dead end!  Nothing is making sense, nothing is adding up."  She buried her face in her hands and emitted a muffled groan.  "I don't know what else to do."

"Be calm, Sakura.  All you can do is hope, and wish for the best.  I feel this is far from over."

Yelan rose gracefully to her feet, dropping a small kiss on Sakura's hair before standing. Then, without another word, she turned and left the garden, leaving Sakura alone with her Cards.  Almost without thinking about it, the young sorceress reached for her Hope Card and clutched it to her chest.

Hope, and wish for the best.  And never, ever give up.  It was indeed all she had.

Please hold on, Meilin.  Wherever you are.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Eric gulped as he watched Meilin leap lightly on the railing and perform a neat back walkover.  

"Must you?  You make me so nervous when you do that."

She gave a light laugh.

"Afraid of heights?"

"Not really."  Eric leaned over the barrier and surveyed the shopping plaza below them.  They were several stories high on the walkway between two malls, and he tried not to think about how easily she could slip and fall.  "It's just the painful impact after falling from them that bothers me."  She said nothing, but arched backward again and rolled onto her hands.  This time she remained upside down, balancing easily with a foot pointing in each direction.  "I mean, you're not even scared a little bit?  Of hurtling to your death on the concrete at sixty miles an hour and -"

"Eric.  I shall lose my concentration."

"Okay, okay.  Consider my mouth shut.  I won't say anything, not even to point out that you are clearly insane, with no respect for the fragile human body whatsoever."

"You exaggerate."

"I'm not the one upside down with no safety net."

"But I like it," she countered, and finally rolled onto the balls of her feet.  It was a beautiful spring day, with a bright blue sky, and Eric couldn't resist a smile.  Obviously she was in a good mood too, now that they'd washed their clothes in a laundromat that morning.  She tucked a stray lock of black hair behind her ear and cast a rather wistful look over the crowds below them.  "I'm comfortable in this position.  When I was young, I always wished that I could fly.  I love birds."

A tiny smile flitted across her face, then disappeared.  

"But I wasn't the one that got the wings."  She moved into yet another back walkover, this one a little more abrupt.  Eric took a couple steps to keep up, and wondered how much longer they had before someone noticed this display.  

"What, and you know someone else that did?"

"Yes," she said matter-of-factly.  "A couple, actually."

She performed another one while he digested this curious statement.

"You know, Meilin, you're going to think this is really crazy.  Stupid, laughable even.  But sometimes I get the feeling that you're not _quite_ telling me everything about yourself."

She paused while upright, and pressed her lips togther in an attempt to repress a giggle.  

"Really?  You think so?"

"I absolutely do."

"Then I guess you will just have to learn patience."

"So you will tell me?"

"I didn't say that."

And with that she bent her knees and leapt into the air with a tight back tuck, landing perfectly on the walkway before him.  Now she was really fighting a smile, and the combination of mirth and secrecy in her eyes was too tantalizing to resist.  Captivated, Eric leaned in, but a sharp whistle caused them to both look up.  A harried-looking policeman had emerged from the entrance to the mall behind them, and he shouted something in Cantonese.

"Whoops, busted," Eric reported cheerfully, and grabbed her hand.  "Come on!"

Laughing, the two fled into the second shopping mall and led their pursuer on a merry chase before reaching the ground floor and the outdoor plaza. 

A policeman blowing his whistle was nothing special in Hong Kong, but Sakura glanced out the window anyway, just to be looking at something.  She just saw him as he puffed his way past the café window, but missed whomever it was that he was chasing.  

Looking back down at her hands, she could see the napkin had been reduced to shreds, and guiltily she deposited the remains on her plate.  The tension at the table was suffocating.

"What do you mean?" she finally managed.

"I mean, what's going on?" he growled.  "I saw Mother come in from the back garden last night, and I saw you come in after that.  What were you two doing out there?"

"Nothing, sweetie.  Just talking."

"You're a terrible liar, Sakura," he snapped.  "You should leave the cover-ups to Tomoyo."

She flushed, and sank back into the booth cushion.  Kero said nothing, clearly feeling as awkward as she was.  Syaoran just tapped his chopsticks against the edge of his plate and glared at her.  

"W-we just didn't want to bother you."

"Bother me?  My cousin is out there, god knows what happening to her right now, and you're afraid of bothering me?  You're holding something back, Sakura.  Spill it."

"Syaoran, what's happening to you?  Why are you treating me like this?  It's me, Sakura."  She reached across the table and covered his hand lightly with hers, but there was no response.  His eyes never left her face.  "I'm not hiding anything," she continued.  Syaoran's hand underneath hers moved slightly, pushing upward.  

"You are.  Where did you go yesterday that you couldn't take me or Kero?"  His fingers were entwining with hers now, squeezing mercilessly as he tightened his hold.  Never did he break his gaze. 

"I was just looking, Syaoran.  Just like you were.  Please let go of my hand."  She whimpered a little.  "You're hurting me."

The ruthlessness of his grip was terrifying, not so much for the pain, but for the sheer force of will she could sense behind it.  For the first time in years, her mind flew back to their first meeting, and she saw the determined boy who had physically attacked her in order to get the Cards.  Deep down, he was still a fighter who would resort to anything to get what he was after.  

Slowly, reluctantly, his expression softened and he released her hand.

"You can deny it all you like, but I know you're keeping something from me.  You and Mother both.  When you want to let me in on it, tell me.  Meanwhile, I'll be out looking for my cousin."

He threw his napkin down on the table and pushed away from the table before storming out of the café.  

"What's his problem?" Kero sniffed.  "I was about to bite him on the leg, punk kid."

"Don't be angry with him, Kero-chan," Sakura sighed, and rested her chin in her hands as she stared out at the plaza.  "He's worried, angry, and frustrated.  This is tearing him apart; we've got to find her soon."

"If you ask me, this is worse than hopeless.  How do either of you know she's still even in Hong Kong?  The kid's spell wouldn't work, right?"

"Well no, but…"

"But what?"  Kero squinted up at Sakura's doubtful expression and decided that Li was right: Sakura was keeping something back.

"I asked his mother about that spell," she admitted.  "If there wasn't something besides a powerful captor that could deflect it."

He twitched his tail interestedly.  "Yeah?  And?"

"She said it's magic meant to rescue, not to hunt."

Kero wrinkled his furry brow.  "Meaning?"

"Meaning that, just maybe, Syaoran couldn't find her because she doesn't want to be found."

-------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters


	6. ch6 confrontation

Chapter 6 

**'confrontation'**

Meilin watched the golden crest of the temple gleam as the sun approached the western hills.

"You don't?"

"Nope."  Eric took a big lick from his ice cream cone, and wondered again why she'd given him such a strange look when he professed his favorite flavor was chocolate.  It wasn't like it was an uncommon preference.  "Sure don't."

"You don't think the government should help the poor?"

"No way.  I can't believe you're talking like this, Meilin, I really can't.  Don't you realize where you live?  Hong Kong is – was, anyway – famous for its total lack of welfare and aid programs.  Why do you think it's one of the most prosperous cities in the world?  Of course, what with the commie takeover, who knows how long it will last."

"I was a little busy to pay attention to politics," she reminded him, and he grinned.

"Well, I can't complain about that.  I, for one, am quite glad that you chose to train like you did.  But getting back to my point, nobody should ever, ever trust the government to aid the poor.  They'll do a terrible job of it."

She shook her head as they ambled through Temple Street.  

"That's just the spoiled rich child talking."

"Not at all," he corrected her.  "It's the obnoxious college student talking.  Look."  He covered her hand in his and held her cone still while he leaned forward and took a big lick.

"Hey!  That's mine!"

"But I got more ice cream.  It was great."  He smacked his lips together in enjoyment and grinned.  She gave him a baffled look.

"But that's because you took mine."

"Aha!  And that is why government can never help.  They can never give someone ice cream – or whatever – without taking it from someone else.  It's called taxation.  Or the annual bloodletting, if you're talking to my father.  For one to gain, another must lose.  How is that helping?"

Meilin nibbled at her ice cream uncertainly.

"But… it just seems so immoral to not lend a hand to people when they need it."

"It seems pretty immoral to me that they have to steal from someone else to do it.  Redistributing money isn't creating wealth.  The IRS took thirty percent of my paycheck last summer when I worked as a lifeguard.  What would I have done with the money if I'd been allowed to keep it?  Paid for my tuition, for one thing.  And probably picked up a new surfboard to boot.  Buying that would have created a job for someone, and giving out welfare wouldn't."

She didn't look as though she knew how to reply to that, and he chuckled.

"Remember, taking something to give to someone else is never noble.  No matter how much the recipients say they need it.  Hold still."  He reached out and put a hand against her shoulder, then licked his thumb and rubbed it against her skin.  Her eyes widened considerably, and he blushed.  "You got a little… strawberry ice cream on your chin."

"I can -"

"No, I got it."  He pulled away but could not break his gaze.  The sun was beginning to set, and her face was cast in that golden light that had so entranced him two days earlier.  At length she dropped her eyes when she noticed her ice cream was running down over her hand.

"Oh!  Oh, what a mess.  This is embarrassing."  She reddened as she tried to catch up with the trickling rivulets.  "I'm so clumsy."

He snorted at that.  For anyone as graceful and sure-footed as she was to think she was clumsy… it was laughable.

"Not at all.  You look tasty – all strawberry flavored."  She licked her fingers and giggled, and he took a big bite of his cone. 

***** 

Li was stomping grumpily through the commercial district when he jerked to a halt.  Why was he staring at the face of that man across the street?  He looked very familiar.  It wouldn't come to him, and he shook his head in frustration.  But before he could continue on his way, the first was joined by another, this one bearing a red band across his brow.  Instantly he recalled the encounter in Bird Street and stiffened.  There was something about that group that felt wrong, and he reached out with his hand and closed his eyes.

It was weak, not as strong as it had been the day before, but he was certain it was the same.  

But what did they have to do with Meilin?  Absolutely nothing… unless it wasn't a coincidence that he'd seen that vision of her right before they arrived.  Maybe there was a connection.  In any case, he really had nothing to lose by following them.  

A large and noisy bus trundled past, and when it was gone so were they.  Which way had they gone?  Anxiously he dashed into the street, ignoring the blaring horns.  Something was calling at his instincts, telling him that this was important.  He had to find them again. 

***** 

It didn't seem that this good day could end.  Eric knew he should be worrying about his would-be kidnappers, knew that he should be holing up and hiding.  He should be haggling with his dad about a plane ticket; spring break was officially half over and time was getting short.  And he really should be moping just a little about Jessica.  But instead he took Meilin's hand lightly in his and continued to wander the city.  The busy downtown streets were crowded and lively, no one willing to go inside just yet despite the gathering clouds overhead.

"Hey, check it out.  You can do all that."  He paused by a boy performing gymnastics on the sidewalk for spare change.  The crowd watched him move through several backflips before touching his knees to his chest and finishing off with a back tuck.  Everyone clapped.

"Go on, show them what you got."

"What?"

"Just like on the railing today, right?"

"But Eric, I -"

"Go on, show off.  It'll be good for you."  He pushed her forward and she squeaked in protest.  Everyone looked at her quizzically, and she flushed.  Eric motioned her to go ahead, and she fidgeted.  Playing around on her own was one thing, but it had been a long time since she'd gone up against someone else in competition.  That was a time she didn't like to think about…

But there was something insistent in his blue eyes and indefatigable smile.  He was practically begging her to show off, because he believed she was the best and wanted everyone to know it.  A strange feeling stirred in her chest and she turned to exchange a measuring look with the sidewalk performer.  

Then, before she could change her mind, she rolled into a cartwheel.  The cartwheel was followed by one backflip, then another and another.  A whoosh of surprise went up from the crowd and she heard some cheers.  Still one more, then a tight hands-free back flip.  Everyone started clapping but she wasn't through yet.  Bouncing off the hard cement as though it were rubber, she vaulted into the air for a spectacular aerial twist, hugging her arms close to her chest and feeling the exhiliration shoot through her bloodstream.  It had been so long since she'd done anything like this before other people.  She'd forgotten how wonderful it felt, but when she landed amidst the outburst of applause, she realized she wasn't even looking at any of them.  Instead she could only stare at the blue-eyed tourist directly across from her.  He wasn't clapping or cheering like the others.  His smile alone said it all.

"That was so awesome!" he cheered later, when they'd left the crowds behind.  He squeezed her hand in triumph.  "You were amazing!  Poor kid, you really gave him a run for his money.  But hey, that's what capitalism is all about."

She giggled in spite of herself.

"I should not have done that."

"Why not?"

"I just shouldn't have.  Oh, that was wrong to show off like that.  I've been told many times not to do that, but…"

"But it was fun, right?  Believe me, it's not wrong to show off at the stuff you're good at.  Of course, you're good at everything, so -"

"Eric, I am not good at everything."

"Please."  He held up a finger.  "You can kick ass like there's no tomorrow.  You can do that Olympic stuff back there without blinking an eye, and do it on a high-rise to boot."  He held up a third finger.  "Plus you can sing."

"Eric, please stop," she laughed.  

"Fine.  Just tell me one thing you're terrible at, and I'll stop.  Because I don't believe there is one."

"No, no, there is," she assured him.  

"And it can't be something like 'laughing' or 'smiling'.  You are good at that, you just don't do it nearly enough."

"It's not that."  She stopped walking and he spun around to face her, hand still in hers.  She leaned in close with a conspiratorial look in her eyes.  "Are you listening?"

"Completely."

"Okay, here goes."  She took a deep breath.  "Cakes."

"What?"

"Cakes.  Baking them, decorating them, even stirring the mix – I'm horrible at it."

Eric snorted.

"You can't cook?  That's it?"

"No, I can cook," she corrected.  "I've been cooking Chinese and Japanese food for years, and I can do it quite well.  It's just cakes.  I can't figure it out; it's a mystery."  She shrugged.

"So that's it.  You can cook, but you can't bake a cake."

"Exactly."

It was so absurd, but there was such a serious look in her eye that he had to laugh.  She looked surprised, but then she laughed too, and then he laughed louder and she followed suit until they were both leaning against each other in an effort to remain upright.  He wasn't even sure what was so funny, but it was the kind of silly laughter that fed on itself long after the joke had passed.

When he couldn't breathe anymore and the stitch in his side was crippling him, he stopped and straightened.  

"You know what?"

She swallowed the last of her panting laughter.

"What?"

"I've always been more of a pie man myself."

"Pie man?"

"Sure.  Apple, cherry, rhubarb, you name it.  I think they're more fun than cakes.  You get to make the crust and the filling, and then there's all that syrupy sweetness that's so tasty.  My grandmother makes a hell of a rhubarb pie – family Christmas treat."  He pressed his fingertips to his lips with an expression of delight, and her smile grew.

"So you like pies?"

"I like pies."

"I've never tried to make a pie before," she said thoughtfully.  "I wonder if I would be good at it?"

"I bet you would."

"Oh."  They were so close, how they were, all it would take was a tiny movement.  He was standing so near that he could feel the rise and lift of her lungs as the laughter died away; he could see the sparkle and animation in her eyes as they spoke.  She was on a high from her little exhibition earlier, now was the perfect time.  

His intention was interrupted by a crack of thunder and a cloudburst.  As befitting a tropical monsoon, the water rushed downward in a deluge and soaked them instantly.  All around them people scattered and disappeared indoors.  Meilin made as if to run for shelter, but Eric was getting tired of this.  A man could only take so many interruptions before he took matters into his own hands, and he snagged her wrist.

"What are you doing?  We're getting wet!"

"I say, are we?  I hadn't noticed."

"Eric, come on, I'm soaked already!"  She certainly was.  He tried to keep his eyes above her chestline as he pulled her more toward the center of the empty street.  "What are you doing?"

"What?  It's not like it's cold or anything.  In fact, it feels kind of nice."  He opened up his mouth, face tilted upward, and felt the hard rain wash his face free of grime.  "C'mon, didn't you ever play in the rain when you were a kid?  This is great!"

"Eric, this is not the time to be silly.  We need to get inside."

"Pish-tosh" he declared, just because it was a fun word to say when the opportunity arose.  "Did you or did you not ever play in the rain when you were a kid?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because it may explain why it's so hard for you to have fun."

"I know how to have fun!  But this is not it."

"Then that answers my question.  You don't."

She made an exasperated noise in the back of her throat and tried to pull out of his grip, but he held on doggedly.

"Eric, you realize you can't keep me out here.  I have three black belts – you'd never stand a chance."

"Oh, you think so?"

"Of course I think so," she replied defiantly, a little disconcerted by the fiendish look in his eyes.  

"Well, I'd say that constitutes a challenge."  He slid his hefty backpack off his shoulders, and it landed with a thump on the rain-lashed asphalt beneath them.  "It's time for you to meet… the Tickle Master!"

It was an English word that Meilin was not immediately familiar with, and in her moment of distraction, Eric lunged for her ribs.  Taken by surprise, she shrieked and tried to break away, but he already had her in a vulnerable position and mercilessly went for under her arms.  

"Stop – stop it!" she gasped, writhing helplessly.  "What – what is this?"

"Oh my god, you've never been tickled before?"  He was so shocked that his hands stopped moving, but he didn't let go just yet.  She was pressed up close to him now, their wet shirts an almost nonexistent barrier between them.  

Confused, she shook her head.  "I don't understand.  What is it for?"

"This."  He began again, moving professionally down the sides of her ribs and across her belly as she begged for relief and mercy.  "Oh please.  I'm just getting started, missy.  You've never been tickled before, so we have a lot of making up to do."

"No!" she pleaded, her feet scrabbling across the ground as she tried to gain footing.  It was hopeless, and she buckled again under his assault.  Her side was killing her – she was sure this laughter would asphyxiate her if she couldn't stop soon.  "I – I'm stronger than this; I have a black belt -"

"Amazing how ineffective that is against the Tickle Master, isn't it?  All your Bruce Lee tricks can't save you now.  Nothing beats a good tickle."  

Together on an isolated street corner and wet through to the bone, they wrestled for dominance.  This was Eric's domain though, and it was never really a contest.  He wrapped her tightly in his arms and picked her up off her feet before swinging her around, and she yelped again in delight.  He was laughing too, and felt the first hints of exhaustion creeping up on him.  Crouching, he dropped her to the wet street with her head cushioned against his backpack.  She was still in the throes of her giggles, and he straddled her waist to lean over and face her.

"Well?  Can I assume you surrender?  You've obviously met your match."

"Never," she hiccuped.  "I'll never…"  She lost the rest to a wheezing breath, as Eric leaned closer, drawn inexorably by those lips.  Closer and closer, until his nose was just over hers.  The rain was still pounding away at his back, unceasing.  She was absolutely still beneath him, with no hint of rejection or desire in her eyes.  He was still unsure if she even wanted it, but he couldn't hold back anymore.  He wanted it too much.  

And finally, his lips found hers.  It was a connection he'd been hungering for for so long, he could feel his heart give a little leap at the first touch.  She was smooth and soft, and still tasting just a little like strawberries, and he lost no time before parting her lips with his tongue and inserting it gently.  She made the tiniest of murmurs in the back of her throat before opening her mouth still further and allowing him in completely.  This he accepted gratefully and he pressed against her, exploring long and lovingly before he pulled away at last.  His tongue brushed over her lip just a little as he departed, and she shivered beneath him.  Hovering just over her, he waited until she opened her eyes.  There was a bewildered and dazed look in them, as though no one had ever kissed her before.

She said nothing and he said nothing, but simply stared into one another's eyes for a moment that lasted forever.  Only the rain was speaking.  Eric felt a little nervous.  He could feel that she had enjoyed it, that she had wanted him, but still her expression was unreadable.  It was impossible to see her thoughts.

He was opening his mouth to speak when someone beat him to it.  

"Go for it, gwei lo," someone snickered.  "C'mon, whatcha waiting for?"  An audience of four very familiar men were sauntering up, grinning.  Much to his relief, Jing Kun was not present, but the mood was still spoiled.  He groaned and rolled off of Meilin.

"Not again.  Won't they ever give up?"

She shrugged and pushed herself upright, still looking a little dizzy.  Their attackers were spreading out now, moving to surround them.  Instinctively both Meilin and Eric backed up to the curb, and Meilin raised her fists.  

"Just walk away," she said coldly.  "And leave him alone.  I am beginning to lose patience."

"You're beginnng to lose patience?" one of them mocked.  "Imagine how we feel.  Here we thought he was going to be so easy, and then you keep popping up.  We're all tired of it."  They all nodded grimly.  "No more games.  He's coming with us this time."

"No," she answered calmly, "he's not."

And the fight began.  

Li kicked at a puddle of water in frustration and raked his wet bangs off his forehead.  All this rain was only making him grouchier, and he wondered if he just ought to give up and go home.  He couldn't think why he was doing this anyway, there seemed no rational purpose to it.  

He'd tailed the two men for a couple blocks before losing them behind a construction site, near a half-completed skyscraper.  For an hour he'd searched the neighborhood thoroughly, but came up dry.  He'd been about to shrug and give it a miss when he spotted them again – or most of them anyway.  This time there were four of them, with the first one now gone.  But they were all wearing that red band, and they gathered on the corner to confer amongst themselves about something.  One of them spoke and smacked his fist against his palm, and the others nodded.  Finally they turned and crossed the street, Li following at a reasonable distance.  He'd been walking for hours, and his feet hurt, but now his curiosity was too much to ignore.  

It was funny, though.  For all their apparent determination, they didn't really seem very sure of where they were going.  He shadowed them up and down several blocks, gradually working their way through downtown in a haphazard manner.  He was forced to keep well back, as they would suddenly double back without warning.  It was as if, he decided, they were looking for something that was on the move, something they weren't quite sure where it was.  He could sympathize.  

They glanced up in annoyance as the rain began to fall, then they stiffened and took off at a run.  

Hey, wait!

Taken by surprise, Li broke into a dash, but he hadn't seen which way they'd gone and paused by an intersection.  Five minutes of frantic checking produced no results, and now he was at a dead-end again.  

He splashed through the puddle, completely wet already anyway, wondering if he should just go home.  That was when he caught another flash of that same feeling, much stronger than it had been earlier, and clearly quite close.  He turned on his heels and ran lightly down the street, then turned the corner.  Everything was completely quiet now; everyone had sensibly retreated indoors.  The streetlights emitted a fitful glow into the darkness, hazy with all the raindrops.  Still he pressed forward, covering the distance in long and easy strides.  He turned another corner and sucked in his breath.  

He could see them easily now; they were fighting someone.  The four of them against one, but that one was doing a pretty good job of holding them off.  He watched as he bounced off one and kicked another before landing easily on his feet and spinning into another back kick that sent a third sprawling.  It was good technique, something that he himself would have probably used in such a situation.  

No, wait.  That _was_ his technique.  This was his style, down to the last motion, and he came to an uncertain stop.  This person was fighting his fight.  How could that be?  

He squinted in the ambiguous light and found himself wondering if this person was even a guy.  He was awfully thin and light, and a little on the short side…

He inhaled sharply as a possibility suggested itself, and broke into a run again.  One of the attackers yelled as he lunged forward, but the defender caught his ankle and sent him crashing into a lamppost before turning to deal with another.  For just a moment, her long wet hair was flicked into the air before adhering to her shirt again.  And in that moment, Li realized he knew.  Unbelievably enough, he had found her.

Hovering uneasily near the corner, Eric watched Meilin trade blows with one of their attackers.  He almost didn't hear the running footsteps over the pelting rain, and turned just in time to see someone streak past him, running toward the fight.

"Mei -" Eric began to warn, then cut himself off as the newcomer launched into the air with a flying side kick, his foot slamming into Meilin's opponent and sending him sprawling.  

Everyone froze as the man skidded across the pavement, and Li landed lightly on his feet before her.  For one brief moment, she regarded him with shocked eyes.  

And then she pulled back and struck him so hard across the face that he stumbled backwards.

"Ow- ouch!" he yelped, holding his hand to his jaw.  "What was that for?"

Meilin planted her hands on her hips and scowled at him.

"What do you think you're doing, Syaoran?  I'm in the middle of something here!"

It was so unexpected, he didn't know what to say.  He could only stare at her in bewilderment.

Eric gave a short whistle to grab Meilin's attention.

"On your left!"

She reacted instantly, ducking to avoid the punch and then coming up from underneath to grab his wrist and pull him over her shoulder.  He hit the pavement with a painful-sounding smack and groaned.  Another one yelled a battle cry and skipped off one foot to deliver a kick to her face, but he never made it.  Snarling a little, Li intercepted the attacker and kneed him solidly in the ribs before elbowing him in the chin.

"Stop that!" Meilin snapped, and snatched the man's shirt to pull him out of Li's grasp.  "This is my fight, do you mind?"  She kneed him brutally in the ribs before elbowing him in the chin – it had been her idea first, damn it – before twisting and throwing him against the curb.  Then she returned her glare to Li.  "What are you even doing here?"

"Wh-what am I doing here?  What do you think I'm doing here?  I'm looking for you!"

Meilin made an annoyed noise in her throat and stamped her foot.

"You shouldn't have bothered."

"Shouldn't have bothered?" Li repeated, feeling as though he'd left reality behind somewhere.  "You're my cousin!  I came to find you because I thought you were in danger!"

"Well I wasn't!"

Li gestured wildly to indicate their bemused audience of attackers.

"You could've fooled me!"

Meilin threw up her hands in frustration.  "This is _so_ like you."

"Like what?"

"You!  You don't even know what's going on and you just throw yourself into the fight anyway, convinced that everybody needs your help.  You don't know when to back off and leave something alone!"

Li gasped in indignation.  "As if you're one to be talking.  Who thought she could take on the Fight Card all alone and with no help?"

"That was different, Syaoran, this has nothing to do with you or the damn Cards.  I know what I'm doing!"

That otherworldly sense that he'd been picking up on these men flashed through his memory then, and he shook his head.

"No, you don't."

It had definitely been the wrong thing to say.  She stiffened and took a step back, looking as though she'd just been hit across the face.  He could identify.  

Eric caught one of the gang giving him a puzzled look, and he could only shrug, nonplussed.  He didn't understand any of what was going on, or who this guy was that seemed to provoke such a reaction from her.  All he did know was that he would have given his right _arm_ just then to know Cantonese.  She lifted her chin and spat a retort then, and the newcomer flinched.

"Don't you take that attitude with me, Meilin.  How dare you?  Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"Oh I'm sorry, Syaoran," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  "Did you get left behind?  Feeling left out?  A little unwanted?"

Fed up with all the back-and-forth, someone else got up the gumption to charge Meilin.  

"Meilin, watch out!" Eric yelped, and she crouched and threw him over her back.  Li bristled as he noticed the blonde man for the first time, and marched a couple steps toward him.

"Who is this?"

Meilin glared haughtily.  "Wouldn't you love to know?"

"Hi," Eric said nervously, eyeing the malevolent glare of the young man.  "I guess you… know each other?  Can I just say that Meilin has -"

"Shut up," Li said coldly, in English.  Li was a little shorter than Eric, but clearly just as lethal as Meilin was in the martial arts.  Eric shut up.

"Look, Meilin," Li tried again, attempting to soften his tone.  "You're upset.  I can see that.  I don't know where you've been," and here he flashed a scathing look at Eric, "or what you've been up to.  But you're going to get hurt.  So why don't you just come home, and we'll talk about it."

Meilin didn't have a chance to answer before one of their attackers picked himself up off the street.

"No!" he growled throatily.  "They're not leaving!  They're not getting away!"  He barreled toward Meilin with the idea of tackling her, but he never even got close.  Li took one skipping kick and felled him with a blow to the face.  He was knocked flat on his back, and didn't have a chance to move before Li yanked his pendant off and activated the sword.  

"Next person that goes for her gets a hole in the throat.  Got it?"

His victim gulped as the point dug lightly into his flesh.  Everyone took a step back.  

"Whoa," Eric murmured softly.  He could hardly believe his eyes; he'd seen that sword materialize out of thin air.  Who was this guy?  What was going on?  Meilin didn't seem impressed at all, and just crossed her arms.  

"Come on, Meilin, let's go home.  You don't have to go back to your parents, you can sleep at my place.  Sakura's here too; we've both been worried sick."

There was no reply; only the continuous splatter of raindrops on the pavement could be heard.  Li frowned and felt a flicker of anxiety.  

"Meilin, enough.  You have to come home now.  I – I promise I won't yell.  I won't be angry.  But you have to come with me."

Whatever he was saying, Meilin clearly didn't like it and took a step back.  A pair of headlights pierced the rainy darkness and Eric looked back to see a truck bearing down toward the blind corner.  It was a tight, sharp turn, and the driver would have to slow down.  He crouched to pick up his backpack.

"Damn it, Meilin, answer me!"  Another step backward, and Li clutched the hilt of his sword as he tensed up.  "Don't you walk away from me!"

"Who," she said shakily, "do you think you are?  This is not your mission, Syaoran, you are not in control out here.  I'm not ten years old anymore, and you do _not_ order me around like that."

Li ground his teeth and tried to force back his vexation.  

"I'm sorry, okay?  I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that.  But I'm worried about you, and I want you to come home with me.  So let's go, okay?"  He held out his hand with a hopeful smile of invitation on his face.  It was irritating to have to beg like this, but already he could see she was weakening.  She loved him, she'd never been able to refuse him anything that he asked.  She lowered her arms to her sides and hesitated.

The truck reached the corner and slowed for the turn.  It was one of those produce trucks for the open air market, empty except for a few crushed melons on the flatbed.  Nimbly Eric grabbed at the near side rod and used the weight of his backpack to swing himself up onto the wooden surface.  

"Meilin, come on!  Let's go!"

Li's breath caught in his throat when he saw her look from him to the blonde holding out his hand.

"Meilin, don't you even think about it," he warned.  "Meilin?"  

They had known each other as long as they'd been alive.  He knew her every expression, her every motion.  Even in the drenched gloom he could see the decision in her eyes.

"No!"  He pushed himself forward, but he didn't have a chance.  No one could sprint faster than Meilin and she had a good head start.  The truck was picking up speed now, but Eric stretched out on the bed and extended his hand.  She was coming up fast, her fingertips just brushing his.

"Meilin!" Li yelled behind her, and she drew on a fresh spurt of determination.  Solidly she grasped Eric's wrist, and he yanked hard.  The last thing Li saw was Eric pulling her aboard and wrapping her in his arms, and Meilin burying her face in his shirt.

And then the truck turned the corner and they were gone, out of sight.  On cue, the rain died off, and he was left standing in the street in complete and utter shock.  

Sh-she left me.  She ran away… and she left me.  _She left me_.

There was a slight sound behind him and he turned slowly, his sword in his hand and murder in his eyes.  The four men, looking decidedly worse for wear thanks to the ministrations of Meilin and himself, shuffled uncertainly and backed away.  He raised the blade in warning, and they all exchanged looks of agreement before whirling around and running.

He let them go.  He couldn't even think about pursuing them, couldn't think about anything except that look in her eyes before she turned and began to run.  She had left him, and she hadn't even cared.

He choked a little on a sob and dropped to his knees.  The sword clattered to the pavement beside him and he braced his hands against the ground, swallowing.  In all his nightmares since returning home, he'd never imagined anything as horrible as this.

The rain died as abruptly as it had begun, just as they turned the corner and everyone disappeared from view.  And Meilin could take it no longer but pushed her head up underneath Eric's chin, seeking comfort in his arms.  And burst into hysterical tears.  

-----------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters


	7. ch7 reactions

**Chapter 7**

**'reactions'**

The produce truck rolled to a stop at an intersection and Eric spotted a hotel.  A little more upscale than what he'd been using lately, but just what the doctor ordered for tonight.  Meilin hadn't said one coherent thing yet, still sobbing frantically and babbling in Chinese.  He really wasn't sure which was worse: seeing how that stranger had affected her so dramatically, or seeing her cry at all.  

"Come on, Meilin, time to jump down.  Can you do that?"  She continued to sob.  "Okay then, let's go."  With some difficulty he managed to pry her off, and inched off the flatbed to drop to the ground.  "Meilin, the light's going to turn green in a minute.  Let's go, sweetheart."  He dragged his backpack down and took her arm firmly.  She was limp and unresisting as he pulled her down as gently as he could, but she collapsed the second her feet hit the pavement.

"Whoops, hold on there.  Try to stand up, can you stand up?"

"I – I l-left him-m," she cried.  "I l-left him!"

"Yes, I know.  It's okay.  You're going to be all right, but I need you to walk.  Tell me you can at least walk out of the street?"

She buried her face in her hands and let loose with a fresh onslaught of tears, and he swallowed a groan before scooping her up in his arms.  In spite of all the power she'd exhibited when fighting, she really didn't weigh that much, and he mentally blessed the hours spent training for his lifeguard duties.  

"Okay," he gritted, once she was curled up and crying in his arms.  "We're going in.  You're going to be fine, just hang on."

He staggered through the door and approached the front desk, attracting a few raised eyebrows.  

"Room?" he inquired casually.  The attendant was a petite Chinese woman who could only stare, and he had to repeat himself before she examined her bookings.  

"Only one," she offered.  "One room, second floor.  Private bath."

"That'll be perfect.  Would you mind just sliding the key across the counter, thank you so much."  He smiled brightly at her astonished expression.  "Don't mind her," he offered by way of explanation.  "It's just been a rough day."

*****

His ragged breathing finally began to slow, after how long he didn't know.  Denial and shock were shifting into anger now.  White-hot righteous rage, more like.  Slowly and painfully Li crawled to his feet.

Something red by the curb attracted his attention, and he knelt to investigate.  One of Meilin's attackers must have lost his emblem after being thrown, and the sodden strip of cloth had been left strewn across the pavement.  There was an unusual symbol in the middle, one that he'd never seen.  It looked rather like a bird.

After squeezing the excess moisture out, he stuffed it in his pocket and began walking.  There was somewhere he needed to be.

*****

"Here we go, Meilin, we're almost there.  Are you going to make it?"  Her cries had quieted somewhat, though tears were still running down her cheeks.  Trying to support her on one shoulder, he managed to unlock their door and hobble through.  It was shrouded in darkness, and only after swiping at the light switch did he realize that there was only one bed.

Oh, damn.  But it was too late to complain, and besides, this was all they'd had left.  It would have to do.  He dumped his backpack on the floor and set Meilin next to it before digging for some clean dry clothes.  Good thing he'd invested in the waterproof brand. 

"Okay, Meilin, listen to me.  You're soaked, and you're shivering, and you're a mess.  I need you to go in there and take a nice hot shower, and then change into these dry clothes.  Okay?"

No reply.

"Meilin, please, you're scaring me.  Look at me, baby, look at me."  He took her chin in one hand and forced her to look up into his eyes.  He almost lost his nerve at what he saw.  Always so cool and collected, Meilin's pretty face had been absolutely ravaged with pain and torment.  Her previously unreadable eyes now advertised clear and unmistakable grief.  

"What happened?" he asked without thinking.

"I l-left him…"

"I know.  I was there.  Who was that?"

She clutched at his shirt with sudden vengeance, expression pleading.

"I left him!  I d-didn't mean to leave him like that I swear it… oh, how could I leave him?  I love him!"  She let go and began wailing again.  Eric inhaled sharply.

"You what?" he asked after a pause, his voice carefully controlled.  

"I love him," she cried.  "Al-always hav-ve.  I love him s-so much…"

Eric watched for a moment as she continued to cry, then placed his hands gently over hers and pulled them away from her face.  

"But you left him behind."  She hiccuped and nodded.  "Why?"

*****

"Hey, there y'are!" Kero folded his wings and dove to intercept Li as he marched across the courtyard of the Li estate.  "Where have you been?  Sakura sent me to look for you, what are you doing here?"

Li fixed a rather glazed stare on Kero's fuzzy face.

"Meilin… wasn't kidnapped."

That was all, and Kero hovered a moment before finally shrugging.  "Uh, good?"

"No," Li answered throatily.  "Not good."  Without another word he pushed Kero out of his path and climbed the few steps that led to the porch.  He didn't bother to knock.  Instead he kicked in the door and strode in.  After a few seconds Kero heard a scream ring out, and he gulped.  Something told him it was time to call Sakura.

*****

Jing Kun raised his eyebrows in disbelief.  "Cousin?" he repeated.  

Peng nodded and shrugged.  "That's what he said.  It was crazy, man.  He just came out of nowhere and joined in the fight; had her same style."  Gingerly he felt at the bruise on his ribs.  "And a fucking cool sword, too."

"Sword."

"No lies, man."  All of the group nodded their assent.  "One of the old ones, some serious magic."  

Jing Kun pondered this.

"She's had family artillery behind her this whole time?  Why the lone samurai act?"

"I don't think so," Hu spoke up.  "She started screaming bloody murder at him for interfering, and he screamed back that he'd only been looking for her.  I don't think she does have a family anymore.  I think she ran away."

"Hmm.  Interesting."

"Interesting?" spat Deng.  "Is that all you can say?  What about us?  We just failed to get him, again, and we're running out of time."

"You need to relax," Jing Kun replied airily.  

"Like hell I need to relax.  This has just been one big game for you ever since that first night.  You're so busy getting a boner for his bodyguard that you don't even care about the rest of the group!"

Jing Kun looked up, his stare suddenly icy.

"How's your wrist, Deng?" he inquired smoothly, and snatched the injured hand in an iron grip.  Deng gritted his teeth and glared venomously at their leader, but did not speak.  

"I could be angry," he continued calmly, directing his gaze to the others.  "I stayed back this time to give you men a better feed, I trusted the four of you could take her.  You proved me wrong, and I could be angry."  His hold tightened, and Deng bit his lip to keep silent.  "But I'm not.  There's still one more night of full moon.  Tomorrow, the five of you will stay back and scry so we can get a precise location this time."

"But -"

"I'll take care of this on my own.  It's what I should have done from the start."

Hu was shaking his head.  "She's too good.  You don't know that you can beat her on your own."

Jing Kun released his grip, and Deng backed away with relief.

"I said I'll take care of it.  I'll take care of _her_.  She'll never see me coming."

*****

She looked so helpless, so vulnerable.  Even though it pained him to touch her, Eric stroked her wet hair back from her face.  Her tears had trickled off now, still dripping intermittently onto her skin but quieter and more controlled.  

"I don't know," she said at last, in a miserable tone.  "I just… saw him there, telling me to go back home with him.  And it would all be the same as it was before, everything would be the same.  I couldn't take it; I had to get away.  I couldn't go back to that again.  Even though he wanted it, I just couldn't do that for him.  I – I've never refused him anything before."

She still had not explained who _he_ was, but Eric chose not to follow up on that just then.  

"What do you mean, 'the same as it was before'?  What were you afraid of?"

"My family," she said dully.  "He wanted to make me go back to them; I couldn't do it.  I couldn't live in that house one more minute… they h-hated me so much…"  She was starting to cry faster now, and something unpleasant brushed Eric's mind.  He leaned in closer.

"What do you mean, go back to them?  No one can make you go back to your family once you're grown and out of the house."  He knew Asian families were generally close-knit, but still… "Right?"

She was shaking her head, not looking up from the floor to meet his eyes.

"No, no…  I ran away.  I d-didn't mean to.  I wasn't going to leave until this summer, but then you came along and you were so kind and then you asked me to protect you and it was all so sudden and…"  She had to stop to draw a shuddering breath, and Eric's heart started thudding a little louder.  

"Three days ago, you mean?  That's when you ran away?  With me?"

She gave a silent nod.

Oh, sweet Jesus.  Eric paled, and he forced a question between stiff lips.

"Meilin?  How… old are you?"

He couldn't believe he'd never asked until now.  But she was just so strong, so mature, so fearless.  It seemed impossible that she was anything less than – 

"I'm sixteen."

He closed his eyes briefly, as the terrible truth settled itself in his mind.

"Sixteen," he whispered.  No less than five years younger than he was, a teenager, a child.  "Sixteen."  He covered his mouth with one hand.  "I am _so_ going to jail."

As if she was suddenly dangerous, he scooted away and stood up.

"You're serious, aren't you?  You're just sixteen years old, and you ran away from home?  Oh my – oh my god, Meilin, why didn't you tell me?  You know I could be charged with kidnapping?  What were you thinking?"  He paced a little and raked his wet blonde hair away from his face.  "You're just a kid!"

Her angst momentarily forgotten, Meilin looked up and frowned in confusion.  Why was he looking at her like that?  Then his words filtered through.

"What do you mean, just a kid!"  She jumped to her feet, surprising them both.  "What are you saying?  That I am incapable?  That I am helpless?  Stupid?  A bother to you?"

Eric realized too late what he'd said and tried to correct himself.

"No, I just meant -"

"How dare you!  How dare you look at me like he did?  Look at what I have done for you these past few days, Eric, look at how I've saved you!  I risked my life to fight for you because you asked me to!  You think I am just some worthless girl?  A silly child?  Think about where you would be right now if I had decided to leave you alone!"

She spun and stormed for the door.

*****

The screaming waxed to a violent pitch, clearly audible in the courtyard.  Sakura cringed and tried not to look at the curious audience of Lis that had gathered in their windows.  No one emerged to help Meilin's parents.  It seemed this family, tightly knit though it was, preferred to leave conflicts settled in private.  Either that, or they were too scared stiff of their future leader to consider it.  

Not that she was inclined to offer any aid herself.  She waited by the steps with Kero instead, wincing every time she heard the crash of furniture being thrown against the wall.  Occasionally a voice would quaver the beginnings of a plea, but it would quickly become drowned out.  Syaoran would brook no argument.  

At last the yelling died away, and the young man wearily made his way out of the mangled doorway.

"They – were not sorry enough," he announced in a strained voice.  

"Syaoran," Sakura ventured delicately.  "What happened?"

"She wasn't kidnapped."  She nodded.  "She ran away."  He took in her expression, the sad but unsurprised green eyes, and his gaze hardened.  "Did you know?  Did you know about this?"

He took a step closer, suddenly looking dangerous, and Sakura had to nerve herself to not back up.

"Syaoran, listen to me.  I didn't know, okay?  I did not know."  She swallowed as his stare bore into her.  "But I did guess.  I didn't have any proof, and I didn't want to make you angry, so I didn't say anything -"

She flinched as he raised his hand, but he made no move to strike her.  Instead he was dangling a wet strip of cloth by her face, of a deep crimson color.

"They're trying to kill my cousin.  Find out who they are."

He waited until she'd hesitantly taken it between her fingertips, then strode across the courtyard for the idling car.

"Think he's done screaming yet?" Kero wondered aloud.  Sakura could only shake her head.

"I don't know."

*****

Eric was too taken aback to say anything at first, but when she laid her hand on the doorknob – with every apparent intention of walking out and leaving him – he recovered and threw himself across the room.  

"Wait!  Meilin, wait, I'm sorry!  I'm sorry, okay?"  He laid a hand on her elbow and she threw him a dangerous look.  Hastily he took a step back.  "I didn't mean to say it like that."

"Everyone's sorry," she scoffed.  "He didn't 'mean' to say it like that either.  But he did.  I could see it in his eyes.  He saw fit to order me home because he sees me as incapable.  He doesn't think I can do anything on my own."

"Well, _he's_ wrong," Eric stated flatly.  "I'm sorry.  I honestly didn't mean to say those things.  You just – you took me by surprise."  

Lingering doubts about his possible legal liability made him nervous, but this was hardly the time to worry about that.  He depended on this girl.

"It's only because you seem so much older than you are," he offered, and was rewarded by a slight relaxation in her glare.  "I – I've met a lot of women when I traveled, and they've always been college age, like me.  When you said you went to school here, that's just what I assumed.  I was the stupid one, okay?  Not you."

Her hand slid off the doorknob, and he felt renewed hope.

"You are not incapable," he promised.  "Not by a long shot.  Haven't I said so a hundred times these past few days?  I think you're amazing, in every way possible.  I can't believe how strong you are, how well you fight.  You're right, you're the reason that I'm still safe and walking free today.  I owe you everything."

Unerring though they were, the words went straight for that neglected and abused part of her soul, and Meilin dropped the last of her wary guard.  Eric saw her knees begin to buckle and hastily moved to support her.  

"Whoa, are you all right?"

"Fine," she murmured, so softly he almost couldn't hear.  "Fine, I just… I'm sorry.  Everything became so strange tonight."

"Tell me about it."  He lowered her gently to the floor and held his hand over her brow.  "You've been through a lot, and you're soaked through, still.  Take a nice hot shower.  It will make you feel better."

Meilin felt thorougly limp after everything that had happened, and she nodded.  

"That's good.  Take these clothes," he pushed one of his T-shirts and pair of clean boxers into her hand, "and go wash off.  Everything will seem better once you're clean."

He had to root through a few things to find his cigarettes while she was in the shower.  The pack was a little crushed, but dry, and gratefully he pushed the window open to light up.

So much had happened, and yet so few questions had been answered.  Who was that guy?  

Over and over again he saw them screaming at each other in the driving rain, ranting in a language he only wished he knew.  She'd hit him.  Funny way of showing love.  But then, she'd been more angry that he interfered in the fight, he suspected.  Proving her strength really was important to her.

Then he recalled the dark glare in his direction, and almost shivered.  Whoever he was, he had been most displeased to see Eric in her company.  

"I guess Jing Kun isn't my only competition," he murmured aloud, right before the door opened and Meilin emerged from the bathroom.  She was silent and pale, but considerably more collected now, and crawled onto the bed wordlessly.  No conversation passed between them as Eric found something dry and retreated into the bathroom.  When he was done showering and returned to the bedroom, the lights were off and she was sitting on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest as she stared out into the Hong Kong night.  He was about to suggest that he sleep on the floor when he heard a tiny sigh.

"What is it?"

"I could see the worry in his eyes," she said softly.  "He was only angry from his anxiety.  I cannot fault him."

She turned to face him, and even in the mediocre light Eric could see the guilty pleading in her eyes.

"I love him and I have never refused him anything in my whole life.  I can still give him what he wants."  Eric didn't like the way this was going and crawled onto the bed to face her directly.  "But I just can't make myself return to him.  Not now.  Not when I have a mission of my own."

Eric exhaled in relief, and relaxed.  But then she placed her hand over his and leaned in close, looking troubled.  

"Am I a terrible person for leaving him?  How can I put him and my friends through this?"

"What?  No, Meilin, you're not a terrible person.  How could you think that, after everything you've done for me?"

"But I ran away… I left him…"

"No.  Shh, listen to me.  You are not a bad person for the choice that you made.  I'm a libertarian, I know what I'm talking about."

She gave him an inquisitive look.

"You said that before.  What does it mean?"

"Ah, well…"  Eric shifted his position to behind her and began to massage her shoulders, kneading them absentmindedly while he tried to collect his thoughts.  It seemed a funny time to be lecturing on politics, but he sensed that this was something Meilin needed to hear.    

"Well, it means a lot of things.  It means we are in control of our own lives, we are responsible for the choices we make.  It means you have the right to do anything you want, so long as you don't hurt anyone else.  Libertarianism doesn't think you're too stupid to figure out anything on your own, that you can do it if you just work hard at it.  It doesn't think you need to be guided or coddled."

His gentle hands pressed a sensitive spot between her shoulder blades, and she 'mmm'ed out loud.  There was a fluttery feeling inside her that had to do with more than his touch, however.  Even though she wasn't facing him, she could hear the enthusiasim in his voice and knew this was something he truly believed in.  It meant something to him.  And it meant something to her too. 

"Libertarianism believes in you," he finished, for lack of any better way to say it.  She gave a tiny sigh.

"It sounds like heaven."

"Well, sometimes you make the wrong decision, and it's not.  But sometimes…" he leaned back against the pillows with a sigh.  "Sometimes you make the right choice, and you succeed.  All on your own.  And there's no feeling like it in the world."

It had been a long, emotionally intense day.  Meilin's guilt was consumed by her exhaustion, and she rolled to the side to lay down beside him.  She was so close that he could feel her body warmth, but she was on her side, facing away from him.

"So I've made a choice, then," she murmured.

"Yep.  It was your right."

"But was it the correct one?"

"Well, for what it's worth," he couldn't resist, but reached up to run his fingers through the silky black hair on her pillow, "I think it's working out pretty well so far."

"Mmm."  She spoke no more, but he had the feeling that she probably smiled at that.  There was a slow lift of her lungs, then another as her breathing became steady and even.  She must have really been tired.  After all, she was just a girl.

Eric closed his eyes, wincing again at the thought of it.  All those times, all his hints that she'd ignored or brushed off.  They had not been the actions of indifference after all, but of naivete.  He had been blind not to realize it.  That kiss… it must have been her first kiss after all.  

And as worrisome as the age difference was, he couldn't keep himself from smiling.  Maybe it had been wrong, but he couldn't forget the feel of it.  She had been absolutely wonderful.

*****  

"Mmm."

As usual, the kiss was fantastic and left him wanting more.  Yuki moaned in delight and pushed up to meet his boyfriend force for force, fumbling to shed the last of his own clothing at the same time.  Touya uttered his own moan before his tongue withdrew and he started planting a row of kisses down Yuki's neck.

"Mmm," he said again, and arched his back, up into his lover's wonderful ministrations, eyes already closed in expectation.  All the way down his chest Touya went, and he was almost there when the phone erupted in a shrill ring.

Touya's head jerked up.

"No," Yuki pleaded, and tried to hold on, keep him from moving away.  "No, don't…"

"Gomen," Touya murmured, and licked his lips before wriggling across the bed and reaching for the phone.  Yuki just whimpered and fell back against the pillows.  Touya groped for the receiver and pushed the button, resettling himself on the sheets.  "Hello?  Hello, Sakura?"

There was a brief look of surprise, then his features hardened into a familiar scowl.  Yuki could barely keep from laughing out loud.  Touya had many scowls for the various people in his life, but there was a special glower that he reserved for just one boy.  It was unmistakable.  And sure enough – 

"Gaki?  Where's Sakura, is she okay?"

"She's fine."

Touya relaxed, but there was still a frown of annoyance on his face as he propped himself up on his elbows.  Yuki was watching him curiously.

"Then what do you want?"

"I – I need to ask you a question."  There was an unfamiliar hesitant quality to Li's tone, and Touya fidgeted when he paused.

"Well, spit it out already.  What is it?"

Li slumped against the railing of the rear garden and looked at the glittering city below.  He couldn't believe he was doing this, talking to this one person that he hated more than anyone, but he was desperate.  Touya was the only one that could help him.

"I need to know how -" he took a deep breath, "- how it is you haven't killed me these past two years." 

For a long moment, neither said anything.  Then Touya covered the mouthpiece with his hand and sent Yuki a regretful look.

"This might take a while."

Yuki managed a resigned smile, then reached for his chemistry notes.  Touya stretched out on the sheets beside him and listened as the entire garbled story spilled out, not easy to follow since the gaki kept lapsing into his native tongue in his angry distraction.  

"So who was he?"

"I don't know," Li growled.  "Some gwei lo.  I think he might have been an American."

"Uh-huh.  And she just ran off with him."

"Hai," Li answered bitterly.  "It was – I can't describe it.  How she looked at me.  It was like… she didn't want anything to do with me.  I could see the decision in her eyes.  She wanted _him_ instead of me."

"Mm.  Sucks to come in second, doesn't it?"

"I hate him!  I want to -"

"Break his neck?  Throw the body into the harbor?"

"Yes!  He could be doing anything to her right now, it -"

"Kills you that he sees her in that way?  Makes you want to vomit at the thought that he might be using her or exploiting her?"

"Exactly!  It's disgusting!  I knew you'd understand, Touya-kun."  He was loud enough for Yuki to hear, who snorted at the wry look that crossed Touya's face.  "I want to break every finger he lays on her.  I could do it too.  He's no fighter, I'm sure of it."

"Except that you can't," Touya reminded him.  "Because you don't know where they are." 

"How could she, Touya-kun?  How could she run away from me, choose him over me?  How could she leave me like that?"

"Well, offhand, I'd say she probably likes him."

Li slammed his fist into the railing.  "Likes him?  She's only sixteen years old!  She doesn't know anything about what she's getting into; she could get hurt!"

"And I suppose you told her that."

Li sniffed.  "I might have."

"Smart move, gaki.  That was probably what decided her.  Kami-sama, I'm gay and even _I_ know that you don't ever tell a woman what not to do!"

"But – but, she's never refused me anything that I asked before," Li said plaintively.  "My whole life she's always been there in my shadow, begging for my attention.  She would never – I mean, other guys just didn't come close…"

Touya had to choke back laughter as he sat up in bed.  "You should hear yourself.  I don't believe it.  You're jealous!"

"What?  No, I'm not."

"You are.  Meilin was your personal fan club, and now she's got an eye for someone else.  It's driving you nuts just thinking about it."

Li spluttered a little on the other end of the line, and Touya smirked.  

"I – I am not jealous!  I'm in love with Sakura, I've got my girlfriend!"

"I remember," Touya answered grimly.  "But that doesn't change the fact that you're a selfish prick.  Meilin's always been yours, and you wanted to keep her that way.  Now she's off with this stranger, and there isn't thing one that you can do about it."

Li snarled and held the phone away for a moment while he kicked at the railing.  Come hell or high water, he would not admit Touya was right about anything.  

"I am _not_ jealous," he finally growled into the mouthpiece.  "I am scared for her.  She's my cousin; I'm the future leader of this family.  I have a responsibility to protect her, and I can't do that when I don't even know where she is."

"Yeah, well maybe that's what she had in mind."

"But why?  Why would she refuse my help, shut me out?"  It was the most galling thought of all.  Gratifying though it had been to scream at her parents, it hadn't soothed his guilty ache.  Still in his mind he could see her, refusing him.  "She wasn't just running away from her family.  She was running away from _me_."

Touya blew his bangs out of his eyes in frustration at the martyred tone.

"Look, Li-kun, how obvious do I have to make it?  Whatever it is that's going on with this guy, and that gang, she doesn't want your help.  She doesn't want your leadership.  She's trying to handle it on her own.  So give it a rest, already.  If she wants to, she'll come to you.  Trust me, I'm an expert on this subject."

Li's shoulders sagged a little.  "But what about the American?"

"Try not to picture it."

"That's it?"

"That's all I can give.  It's all I can do about you."  Yuki frowned and flicked Touya lightly on the ear.  "Ouch!  What?"

Yuki made an impatient motion and nodded toward the phone.  Touya rolled his eyes.

"Well, I guess there is one other thing."

"What, what?"

"You love her, and you've known her your whole life.  You trust her, right?"

"I guess."

"Then you should know that if she decided to leave her home and risk everything to be with this guy, then he probably isn't altogether bad.  And maybe, if you cared about her at all, you might even be happy for her."

He hung up and glared at Yuki, who was beaming.

"There, I said it.  Happy?"

"Very.  You're so kind, Toya."

"Hmph."  Touya slapped the phone back onto its cradle and curled up with his boyfriend.  "I just wanted the brat to feel a little better, that's all.  Must be rough on him."

"Indeed.  I wonder how this is going to be resolved."

*****

Sakura wrapped Fuutie's borrowed robe around her waist and stared out the window.  He'd been on the phone for an hour now, to whom she couldn't imagine.

"He is distraught," Yelan murmured at her side.

"That's putting it mildly.  I can't believe how this is turning him inside out.  I thought it was bad when she was supposedly kidnapped, but now…"  She shook her head.  "I was really scared of him, for a moment back there.  I thought he might hurt me."

"The burden he carries has been unleashed in a most aggressive manner these past few days.  I fear now it will only become worse."

"That's the second time you've mentioned something like that," Sakura reminded her.

"Yes.  My son carries guilt in his heart every day for that broken promise.  I'm sure it can never be healed fully."

Sakura bowed her head.  "But she's my friend.  She was fine with it, she really was."

"Maybe, maybe not.  It matters little.  Meilin's bravery cannot erase what was to be.  My son will be leader.  She was to be his wife, and share in that."

"Oh."  Not anymore.  

"My niece is a fine girl," Yelan continued, her voice becoming mellow.  "She deserved more than what she was given.  My son, and her friends in Japan, know this.  He agonized that he could not give her what she wanted, and so promised himself to at least be her protector if not her lover.  It was not the same, but it was the next best thing."

"And now he can't even do that."

"Exactly.  And his frustration boils to the surface."

"What will happen if he can't find her?  What if we never see her again?"

Yelan touched her fan to her chin lightly, pondering the possibilities.

"He is a fighter and protector to the core of his being.  You could no more alter it than you could alter your destiny as Card Mistress.  If no understanding can be reached between the two of them…"  She waved her fan lightly to the window, then turned to leave.  "He may never recover."

Sakura was left alone by the window, and distractedly she toyed with the key of the star hanging around her neck.  Outside, she could see Syaoran clearly in the bright moonlight as he hung up and sighed heavily.  She would give him a few moments, and then she would go out there.  But what could she say?  What could she do?

Yelan was right.  Syaoran was the way he was, and no one could change that.  And right now, there was no one at all who could reach out to him.  No one except Meilin, out there somewhere in Hong Kong and keeping her distance.  

Please, Meilin.  If only you could see how this is killing him.  Please come back to us… we need you.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters

A/N: Perhaps you thought, just because this was a Meilin fic, that I would not have a naked Touya scene.  Perhaps you are a fool.


	8. ch8 sacrifice

Chapter 8 

**'sacrifice'**

In the barest glimmering of consciousness that morning, Eric thought he was home in California, nestled up comfortably with his girlfriend of two years.  A smile spread across his face, and his eyes fluttered open.  That was when he saw Meilin in his arms, and the events of the past week came crashing down on him.  

Nope, still not a dream.  Though every time I wake up it becomes just a little more bizarre and a little harder to believe.  And yet here she is, in bed with me.  Beautiful, mysterious, powerful, exotic… and this while still in her teens.  How can she be only sixteen?  It just doesn't seem right.  There's more to her, I'm sure of it.  She's been through something hard, something that made her as strong as she is.  

Meilin wasn't used to waking up with a pair of blue eyes directly over her face, scrutinizing her.  But that was what happened, and she stiffened when she realized their position.

"I – I'm sorry," she stuttered.  "Did I fall asleep in your arms?"

"I don't really remember," he answered softly, his eyes never leaving hers.  "It's okay, it doesn't bother me.  You don't always have to be the warrior, you know.  The occasional hug is perfectly acceptable."

Was it her imagination, or was his face drawing a little closer to hers?

"B-but, last night, you said I should stand alone…"

"I said you were allowed to stand alone," he corrected her.  "Doesn't mean you can't be with someone if you want."

For the first time, Meilin allowed her thoughts to rewind past Syaoran's startling appearance, and the fight.  It was unbelievable, but after so much emotional upheaval she'd almost forgotten about it.

"You kissed me last night."

"That's right.  What, did you not like it?"

Meilin felt at a loss, here in his arms with his keen blue eyes so close.  

"Um, I – I don't know…"

His hand brushed over her cheek, smoothing some of her tangled hair back from her face.  The tiny spark of desire in her eyes, and the slight quiver at his touch, did not escape his notice.  

"We could try it again.  See what you think."

She didn't answer, just stared frozenly into his eyes.  But he understood now.  This was no rejection, no denial.  She was simply too scared to commit; she was inexperienced.  Eric forgot all about her age, forgot about her runaway status, forgot about everything as he leaned in to seek her lips.  It didn't matter anymore.  He only knew that he wanted to be with her, badly.  He would make her experienced.  

It was the same feeling again, as he inserted his tongue between her lips and pressed downward.  Scary but a good kind of scary, a heady rush of being desired and wanted.

Eric cupped his hand around the back of her neck, supporting her as he drew back and then renewed the pressure.  She offered no resistance, but she wasn't participating either.  Eric tried to demonstrate by sucking gently on her tongue, drawing it into his mouth.  He could feel her surprise, but she seemed to get the hint and pressed upward, meeting him in the kiss.  Pleased, he drew back after a few seconds and smiled down at her.  Her eyes were closed and she was trembling slightly, just like the night before.  Confident that there would be no interruptions this time, he grinned and leaned in again, this time to nibble the lobe of her ear.

Her sharp intake of breath was clearly audible, and he paused.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm kissing your ear."

"It -" Meilin tried to remember the word.  "- tickles."

"Do you want me to stop?"

After a microsecond of hesitation, she shook her head, and he continued.  After he was done teasing her ear with his tongue, he began to trace a line of light kisses down her jaw.  This she definitely seemed to like, and hummed with pleasure.  But when he moved below the jawline to her neck, she tensed again.

"Should I stop?"

"N-no.  It's okay.  I like it."

"Good."   

Slowly, maddeningly slowly, he completed the path down her neck and reached her collarbone.  There was that little hollow that always seemed to drive females wild, and she was no exception.  When he closed his lips over her skin and began to suck, she whimpered aloud and shifted beneath him, pushing upward with her body.  This action stimulated a matching response in his own body, and he pulled away to see that he'd made a slight mark.  Oops, but no time to worry about that now.  She was looking up at him, a mixture of uncertainty and longing in her eyes.  Did she want more?

Gently, his hands roved down her back and to her waist, and she stiffened.  He kissed her again and she relaxed, but when he started to push the material of her T-shirt up, she went rigid in his arms.

"What?" he inquired worriedly.  After a moment she shook her head.

"No, please, it feels nice.  Continue."  But she clenched her teeth and shrunk back from him as his hand moved again, and he could see a little moisture shimmering in her dark eyes.

"Oh," he groaned and pulled back in defeat.  "No.  No, we can't do this."

Right away he saw the relief flash through her eyes before they turned to denial.  "No, it's all right.  I promise you.  I'm ready."

"No," he answered in a slightly strained voice, "you're not.  I can tell.  There's something holding you back."

"But I am -"

"You're not," he declared firmly.  "Not yet, anyway.  Trust me, I've done this before."

Meilin bit her lip and sank back into the pillows with a sympathetic expression.

"Oh, Eric, I -"

"No, no.  It's okay.  I'll live.  I just – need to take a cold shower.  If you'll excuse me."  He bit back a wail of frustration as he managed a smile and sat up.  His body was trembling a little with the abrupt shift in activity, and he had to take a minute to collect himself, swinging his legs out over the edge of the bed and facing away. 

***** 

"Syaoran?"  Hesitantly Sakura tugged at his shirt, then said his name again, louder.  "Syaoran?"

"Get your goddamn hands off her!" he shouted, sitting upright with a jerk and nearly banging their heads together.  She squealed and jumped backwards, tripping and tumbling to the floor.  Syaoran was breathing heavily, glaring into empty space, but as he became aware of his surroundings he shot her a surprised glance.

"Sakura?  What are you doing on the floor?"

"Recovering from a heart attack, now," she answered dryly, and began to gather the books she'd been carrying in her arms.  "What were you dreaming about?"

"Huh?  Oh, it was a, um, nightmare.  About someone attacking Meilin."  His gaze skittered away from hers and he reached to rake his scruffy bangs out of his face.  Not exactly about someone _attacking_ Meilin, of course, but something far, far worse.  It had been so real too.  "Why am I in the tea room?"

It was true, he'd been sprawled across the couch when Sakura found him that morning.

"I would imagine that it's because you wouldn't come upstairs last night to sleep.  You were still sitting here, fuming, when I went to go to bed at one."

"Oh."  Now he did remember, and he swung his legs out toward the room so he could slump against the back of the couch.  

"Who were you talking to on the phone last night?"

"Never mind that.  What's all this?"

"Hmm?  Oh, this.  Well, Kero-chan thought maybe he recognized this bird symbol, and we spent a lot of last night rooting through your mother's library."  She held up the wrinkled band of cloth, and after a moment he opened up his hand.  She dropped it into his palm.  "Turns out, it wasn't a bird at all."  She leafed through the pages of the first book and showed him the same symbol, alongside a few paragraphs of text.  "It was an abstract dragon.  The symbol of an old cult, Everlasting Dragon, as best I can translate.  Anyway, this book doesn't say anything about them, except that they are famously cunning warriors and best left alone.  Nothing about what they do."

He said nothing at all as she babbled to fill him in, but she thought she could see a fierce interest in his near-hidden eyes.  

"But, this book mentions them too, and it adds something.  Get this.  Apparently the name comes from the fact that its members could live as long as they chose, their bodies unchanged.  It's like they have access to the fountain of youth or something.  'By the light of the full moon they fight forever,'" she read from the text.  "Unfortunately,  the author doesn't seem to have any idea on just how they manage to do this.  Kero-chan and your mother are still going through books to see if they can find any more information."

Still no verbal response, and she craned her neck to get a better look at his eyes.  "Syaoran?"

He dropped his gaze to the scarlet band and closed his hand, crushing it in his fist.  Then he pushed off the couch and marched out of the room.

*****

It was awkwardly quiet for the first few moments, and finally the silence was broken by a tiny sob.

"Hey, don't cry.  It's all right.  I'm not angry."  Hastily he reached to brush away her tears, and she shook her head.

"I'm s-sorry.  D-didn't mean to do this."  She scooted away from him to sit up, and hugged her knees to her chest.  "I'm c-crying so much.  What you must think of me…"

"I don't think anything, except that you obviously have a lot of hurt buried inside of you that needs to come out.  Tell me what's wrong."

His gentle fingertips were caressing her face now, wiping away her hot tears.  There was no hint of anger or frustration in his eyes, just concern and sympathy.  Why did they have to be so impossibly blue?  The familiar heartache stirred in her chest and she shuddered.

"Meilin, please.  Talk."

"I'm sc-scared."

"Of me?"  She gave a miserable nod.  "For what?  What did I do?"

"You were k-kind to m-me," she cried.  "I tried this b-before."  

That was all, and in vain he waited for her to elaborate.  Only her pitiful sniffles broke the quiet of the room.  

Once before, someone was kind to me.  Once before, I thought someone had come to relieve the pain and save me.  But it wasn't real; it wasn't true.  He turned away and left me.  I can't let it happen again.  I'm not strong enough for it to happen again.  What was I thinking?

Perplexed and uncertain, Eric tried to reach for her hands again, but she jerked back out of his reach.  It was so unexpected and so harsh, he couldn't say anything at first.

"Sorry," he offered, though he wasn't really sure what he was apologizing for.  

"Please," she whispered.  "Please, just don't.  Just – don't."

It was as if someone had upended a bucket of icy water over him, and involuntarily he shivered.

"Okay," he finally managed.  "I won't." 

There didn't seem to be anything else to say, and he stood up to back into the bathroom.  Meilin watched him go, her vision painfully blurred, and knew that something had gone terribly wrong.  He was hurt, and somehow it was her fault.

After what seemed an inordinate amount of time the shower finally turned off, and he emerged with pink and glowing skin.  Tentatively she tried to make eye contact, wanting to say she was sorry, but he only looked away.  This time he really must be angry, after what she'd done.  She should explain.  But how could she?  How could she possibly put the words to her history with Syaoran?

He was pulling on his khakis now.  The tension in the room was insufferably thick, and for once it was Meilin who couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Interesting choice," she said lamely, desperate to say something neutral.  Anything was better than this.

"What?"  He paused and threw a puzzled glance her way.  She squirmed and dropped her gaze.  It was the first time he'd ever had his back turned to her without his shirt on, and she hadn't realized he had one.

"Your tattoo.  It's an interesting choice.  Why did you choose that character?"

Now he was really lost, and shook his head.  "I don't have a tattoo."

Now it was her turn to look confused, and she raised her eyes again.

"Yes you do.  I just saw it."

He forced a chuckle.  "Hey, Meilin, I've only owned this body my whole life.  I think I'd know if I'd gotten a tattoo on it."

His words were genuine, and Meilin felt something like a premonition shoot through her.  It must have been close to that feeling Syaoran used to describe when he sensed something magical was about to happen.  Gingerly she slid off the bed and crossed the room.  Eric flinched a little as she placed her hand on his arm, but all she did was lead him to the bathroom doorway and turn him around.  Now thoroughly baffled, Eric looked obediently over his shoulder at the mirror and saw his jaw drop.

"Well, I'll be damned.  I – I do have a tattoo."  There didn't seem to be any other way around it.  It was there, plain as day and right between his shoulder blades.  Right where he wouldn't ever notice it unless someone was there to point it out.  He couldn't exactly see what it was, but it looked like some kind of Chinese writing.  "How the hell – this wasn't here before!  I'm sure of it, I never had a tattoo back at home…"  His voice trailed off as he stared at her wide eyes.  "Holy Christ, the party.  It was just the second night I was here, I was looking for a crowd to drown my sorrows with and I completely passed out.  I still had all my money and everything when I woke up; I thought I was fine.  They gave me a tattoo?  That's so unreal.  Why?"  

Completely nonplussed, he reached to touch it, but he couldn't quite reach.  It looked pretty much like a real tattoo, though.  He'd seen enough on his friends back home to know.  Meilin was still staring at him in shock, something that looked like comprehension dawning in her eyes.

"What?  Do you know what it means?"

A slow nod.  "Yes."  A deep breath.  "It means offering – or sacrifice."

The room was silent for a minute, while she waited for the words to sink in.  Eric repeated them stiffly.

"Offering?  Sacrifice?"

"Yes."  She held his stare for another moment, then brushed past him to enter the bathroom.  Too dumbfounded to say anything, he watched her dig through his bathroom kit and pull out his razor.

"What -"

"Hold still."  Without preamble she took one of his hands and nicked his fingertip with the blade.

"Hey, ouch!"

"Shh."  She held it up even higher, right between their faces, and gave a slight squeeze.  As it had for his entire life, his blood welled up in a fat drop on his skin.  But unlike previous incidents in his life, this drop of blood was glowing.  

Not shining with a bright white light or anything, but definitely glowing a sharp and brilliant red.  It reminded Eric of the flashy ruby on his mother's favorite necklace, how it caught the light and reflected it back at them.  Entranced, he leaned in closer to inspect it and could see the million tiny lights dancing in his blood.  It was sparkling.

"Wow…" he breathed.  

Eric Masters, child of Generation X and product of the most modern of lifestyles in California, was so amazed that his thoughts didn't go much beyond dumbstruck awe.  But Meilin's did.  

"No," she moaned.  "Oh, no, no, no, no!"  She turned away and buried her face in her hands.  Startled, Eric automatically stuck his finger in his mouth to suck on it.  He got a shiver when he realized that not only did his blood look different, it tasted different as well.  Not pleasant, exactly, but… different.

"What?  What does it mean?  What's going on?"

She was shaking her head, muttering to herself in muffled Chinese.

"Meilin?"

"No!"  She whirled around to face him, eyes dilated with something that looked like panic.  "Don't you get it?  Isn't it obvious?  Those things he said… oh, I should have paid more attention.  I should have realized there was something more to it."

"English, Meilin, please.  More to what?"

"A while," she repeated tonelessly.  "Nobody's beat him for 'a while'.  He wasn't kidding around.  I get it now.  It took me long enough, but I get it.  He, they, all of them have been living for a long time.  Decades, probably."

"Say what?"

"That's why they kept coming back in spite of the hassle.  They were never after your money, Eric, they probably don't even know your name.  They were after you!  Your blood… I guess the mark on your back changed you.  Made you into something more.  That's why Jing Kun was so angry when his friend pulled out a knife.  All combat has been hand to hand, they don't want any of your blood spilled."

Everything was falling into place; the picture was becoming horrifyingly clear.

"They need you back, for whatever magic ritual they do.  It's how they keep living."  Helplessly she raised her hands, then dropped them.  Eric's expression was a mixture of stunned disbelief and fascination.  "They want to feed off of you."

There was nothing but sincerity in her posture and tone, nothing to hint that she was joking around or spinning him a story.  Eric opened his mouth to refute the ridiculous claim.  Magic?  Get real, Meilin.  Nobody believes in that stuff anymore.

And then he shut it again with a snap.  The lingering aftertaste of his changed blood would not be ignored.  Again, he saw that stranger last night brandishing his sword.  How it materialized in his hand in the blink of an eye.  Meilin knew what she was talking about.

And he believed her.  His creepy feeling that these men wanted to devour him had been true after all.  Somehow, he had had the bad luck to stumble onto this gang – cult, more like – and become victim to their needs.  They had marked him and they wanted to sacrifice him, to sustain them for longer life.  They wanted to take his life to feed their own.  

Everything he knew had just been turned upside down in the matter of a minute, and Eric struggled to form words, to define the churning shock within.

"That's so…" he managed to gasp out.  "So… _communist_."

That eerie look of panic was still in her eyes.  She hadn't moved, staring frozenly at him as he came to terms.

"Meilin?  You – you know about this, don't you?"  She spoke neither to confirm nor deny.  "You've seen stuff like this before, haven't you?  That guy last night with the sword… you've been around magic before."

Again no response, but he knew he was guessing right.

"Who are you, Meilin?  Where do you come from?  Are you – do you use magic?"

For just the briefest of moments after he uttered his question, he thought he saw a blazing hatred in her eyes.  Then it was gone, quite possibly his imagination, and her face crumpled.

"No, I – I forgot to mention that last night.  I can't bake cakes… and I can't use magic.  I was born wrong, not like him.  He's the one that knows things – he knew!"  Abruptly her head jerked up, and Eric almost jumped at the sudden sharp tone.

"He knew, he's known all along.  That's how he found us, both times… he can sense them.  Hell, he can probably sense you!  He knew and he was trying to tell me last night and I wouldn't listen.  I am so stupid!"

Finally Eric knew what to say.

"No you're not," he said.

She didn't seem to have heard him.  She was gripping her head now, snarling her thick black hair between her fingers and looking anguished.

"I don't know what I'm doing!  Never did… stupid… useless… pathetic little girl… brat… get – get out of my sight!"

For a second he thought she was screaming at him, but the hollow look in her eyes convinced him otherwise.  She was staring beyond him, at some place or some time that only she could see.  

"Meilin?  Meilin, snap out of it, please!  You're really starting to scare me, Meilin."  Eric didn't know how much more of this he could take.  The revelation from the night before, making out in bed, the abrupt and harsh rejection, a startling realization that he was caught up in something magical, and now this.  How many more twists were in store for them?

"Stupid useless girl!" she shouted again, and unexpectedly began banging her forehead against the wall.  "Pathetic (bang) worthless (bang) without him (bang) nothing -"

"Stop it!"  He had to forcibly drag her away from the wall, and wondered if she was going to fight him.  She didn't.  Instead she choked out a single, lonely-sounding sob and sank to her knees, where she trembled in his arms.

"I'm sorry," she wheezed.

"Don't be.  Just tell me what happened.  Who told you those things?"

"For the most part," she answered listlessly, "everyone."  She took a shuddering breath, and Eric held his.  This was it, he was sure.  She was finally going to tell him.

"My family is so rich," she began.  "So rich in things, so rich in tradition, so rich in power.  Always, the Lis have possessed magic.  Always they have been great sorcerers, great warriors and priestesses.  _Always_ the best.

I was four years old when things started to go wrong.  I didn't understand.  I was so little, I couldn't know what was going on around me."

She pressed the heel of her palm into her forehead, as if suddenly trying to ward off a headache.

"I don't really remember – or I don't want to.  A low tea table, with two boxes.  One red, one green.  Darkness.  A gloomy room.  My grandfather told me to pick the right one.  I didn't understand.  'How do I know?' I asked.  'Which do you want?'

'You will know' is all he would say.  I didn't understand, so I just picked green.  He looked so surprised.  Not pleased.  I got scared, I told him I changed my mind.  Red was the right one after all.  He didn't listen.  He got up and opened the door, I could hear him telling my parents.  I didn't understand the words he used, but I could see my mother's face and I knew I was in trouble.  I had done something wrong, but I didn't know what."

Her breath was starting to come faster again, and Eric worried that she was hyperventilating.

"I – I pleaded to know what I had done wrong, I was s-so scared.  But th-they wouldn't talk to me.  I was sent to m-my room with no dinner and I cr-cried all that night.  And the next day they m-made me do it again.  I was so frustrated!  I d-didn't know what they wanted and I only wanted t-to please them and be a g-good daughter.  But I picked wrong again and Grandfather said there were no more chances.  I had failed.

They were so angry at me, and I d-didn't even know why.  My father beat me that n-night.  I cried and tried to c-cover my face with my hands, but he just kept hitting me and hitting me and…"

She ran out of breath and paused to inhale.  Eric could hardly bear to move, simultaneously fascinated and horrified.  He hadn't realized someone could be so cruel.

"Most of my elders stopped paying attention to me after that day.  I cried and cried, knowing that I had done something terrible but unable to understand what.  My mother could not lay eyes on me without screaming in anger.  I was being punished… for my sin.  I was an abomination to my family: a Li born with no magic."

Once more the room went quiet as Meilin fought to gain control over herself.  Never had she told the story to anyone; not even Syaoran knew the repercussions of her failed magical test.  Once more she felt the rush of self-loathing consume her, and she struggled to keep from screaming her pain out loud.  Eric's arms were still around her, and she buried her face in her hands.  

Two deep breaths later, she raked her hair back from her face and straightened to face him.

"Eric."

"Yes?"

"You have to leave."

*****

Sakura gave him an hour, then went looking.  After finally spotting him up on the roof, she clambered up to join him.  The daytime view of downtown wasn't nearly as spectacular as the night, but it was still an impressive panorama.  For a long while neither spoke, gazing at the expanse below them.  

"It's getting near noon," she finally said.

He grunted.

"I'm sure they're up and about by now.  You said you could sense them, feel their power.  Are you ready to go look?"

After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head.  She blew her bangs out of her eyes in exasperation.

"Okay, enough.  I can't figure you out, Syaoran, I really can't.  You've been going crazy to find Meilin all week and now that we've got a potential lead, you're not going?  This group that she's fighting is dangerous, and she might not even know it.  She probably has no idea what she's up against!"

"Doesn't matter," he said stiffly.  

"It doesn't matter?" she repeated carefully.

"No.  None of it matters.  Your brother was right; I just couldn't bring myself to face it.  She doesn't want my help."

He lay back against the tiles with a mournful sigh, as Sakura tapped her ear and wondered if she'd just heard correctly.  

"What did you say?"

"I'm such an idiot," he continued, not paying any attention to her.  "I'm the one that rushed home, so convinced that she was in trouble.  Determined that she was helpless and that she needed me.  I'm as bad as her parents.  To me she's still a child, in need of protection and guidance.  I was deluding myself, creating some fantasy picture in my head."

He turned his head slightly to the side to make eye contact with Sakura.

"Don't you see?  That way I could go and save her.  That would make things even; that would make it all right that I broke off the engagement.  Everything would be okay."

Sakura swallowed, hating the self-despising look in his eyes.  She wasn't much good at this sort of thing, and wished Tomoyo were there.

"That doesn't make you a bad person," she tried.  "It just means you care."

He snorted.  "Does it?  Funny how I never cared before.  She thought I didn't know, but I wasn't stupid.  The whole clan knew how her parents treated her.  I know what they put her through when she was younger; I knew what was waiting for her when she was recalled from Japan.  But I was so obsessed with the Clow Cards, I didn't care.  And then when I left to move back to Tomoeda, I was leaving her behind.  Left her with them, and a council of elders that didn't even acknowledge her existence.  All I could think about was you.  I've been fooling myself this whole time, thinking that I was better than the rest of them.  Telling myelf that I cared.  Maybe if I had given two seconds to consider her welfare, we wouldn't be here today!"

Angrily he banged his head against the tiles once, then resumed glaring at the cloud formations above.  

"She doesn't want anything to do with me anymore.  It's over."

Sakura was taken aback by the finality of his tone.

"Surely you don't mean that, Syaoran.  We're bound to see her again."

"No.  You didn't see the way she looked at me last night.  She hit me, and she turned around and ran from me.  She's made her feelings clear.  I don't have any more chances."  

It was obvious even to her how painful those words were for him to say, and how he had to force them between his lips.  No matter how much he was trying to convince himself otherwise, he still agonized for her.  Syaoran and Meilin had spent too much of their lives together, shared too much for it to just be over.

Sakura uttered an impatient noise and stood up.

"You can lie here and wallow in self-pity all you like.  Me, I'm still worried about her.  She's my friend, and I'm not going to let her do this alone.  Call me if you change your mind."

She reached the edge of the roof and swung gracefully over to grasp the rainpipe.  Li heard her departure, and actually managed to raise his head.  But by the time he sat up, she was already out of sight.  He emitted another sigh, and lay back against the tiles.  The hot sun beat down on him, and he closed his eyes.  

--------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters


	9. ch9 something unexpected

Chapter 9 

**'something unexpected'**

Ring… ring…

Eric twirled the phone cord nervously in his fingers, eyeing the girl across from him.  They were downstairs in the hotel lounge now, and finally the international call had gotten through.

Ring… ring…

"What?" he had said after several heartbeats, dismayed and hurt.

"You have to leave," she had repeated firmly, and pushed herself away from him to stand up.  "You have to get out of here.  You are in horrible danger, Eric."

"Yeah, I thought we already knew that."

"No, Eric, you don't get it.  We're dealing with magic.  These guys… they're magic."

"So?"

"So, I'm not strong enough to fight it.  I – can't help you."  The cold and measured words had shocked him speechless, and the look in her eyes muted all appeal.  "You have to leave."

Ring… ring…

She was back in the same black jeans and red sleeveless top he'd first met her in, the same reserved expression on her face.  A brisk and cold shower had washed away all her hot tears and blotchy skin.  Cool and determined, she leaned over the wooden bartop and stared fixedly at the ringing phone.

"But I can't…" he had lamely tried to protest.  "My dad…"

"I don't care, Eric.  Fix it.  Tell him what's going on.  You have to get out of here."

"Tell him what's going on?  Please.  He'd never buy it!"

"Then tell him anything.  Apologize, ask for the money.  Tell him whatever it takes."

Ring… ring…

It was taking an awfully long time for the secretary to pick up, and he glanced at the bar clock.  If he reckoned right, it should still be office hours over there.

"Masters Electronics, executive suite."

Meilin heard her and tensed.  The words caught in Eric's throat as he watched the light reflect off that shiny black hair.

"Hello?"

Meilin punched his arm, and he winced.

"Ah- Ann.  Hello.  It's me, Eric."

"Eric," she cooed.  "Hello there.  I heard you were in Asia this week.  How is it?"

"One non-stop adventure."  His father's secretary laughed lightly, and he forced a chuckle.

"I'll just put you through to your father.  He said he was expecting you to call in sooner or later."

Eric winced, but before he could say anything he'd been transferred.

Ring… ring…

"And what about you?" he had pleaded as a last-ditch resort.  "What will you do when I'm safely packed off to California?  Huh?  Just gonna go back to your family, go back to being the useless girl they think you are?"

At that she had no immediate retort, and lowered her eyes.

"Don't worry about me, Eric.  You don't have the luxury of worrying about me.  This is about you, and the danger you're in."

"Like you're not?  Like these guys are just going to forget about you and everything you did?"

"Don't be silly," she had muttered.  "I don't matter in this.  I'm not important."

"Bull," he had replied succintly.  "You are."

Ring… ring…

She had raised her eyes then, and there was no hint of vacillation in them.

"I am asking you, Eric.  I am asking you for your sake.  Please get on the phone and call your father.  You have to get out of here."

And still yet she had not wavered.  She was still sitting across from him, watching him intently.  

Ring- *click*.  His father had picked up.  

And then Eric couldn't stand it anymore and slammed the phone down on the receiver.  

"Eric!"  She rocketed out of her chair and slapped her hands down on the counter.  "What are you, crazy?  Why did you do that?  You get back on that phone right now; you call him back!"

"No," he replied, standing up to face her.  "I won't.  I will not leave you behind in this city on your own.  I owe you too much to do that to you."

"I told you not to worry about me!  I can take of myself!"

"Don't I know it.  But that doesn't matter.  Still not leaving."

They regarded each other silently for one moment, then she uttered an impatient snarl and kicked at a bar stool.

"Why?  What – what are you trying to prove, Eric?"

"Not trying to prove anything.  I just know I'm not ready to leave you.  Not yet."

"Baka!"  She stamped her foot on the marble floor and spun around, marching toward the hotel exit.  "What do you think is going on here?  Some kind of game?  They're going to kill you, and you don't even take it seriously."

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Away.  Maybe when I'm gone, you'll understand you have no choice but to go home."

"Oh no, you don't."  He kept pace with her easily and was right on her heels when she pushed open the door and stormed into the street.  The midday mugginess of Hong Kong hit them both in a wave, and Eric wilted a little under the intense heat.  The clouds of the short storm the night before had all been swept away again, and there was nothing but bright blue sky above.  But he kept up with her all the same.  "You're not getting away that easy.  Not after all we've been through."

He skipped ahead lightly to block her path, and she ground her teeth before altering her direction.  Still he refused to give up, and strode alongside her.

"What is it going to take to convince you?" she pleaded.  "I am not strong enough for this!  Don't you understand what kind of powers we're dealing with?"

"No."

"Me neither.  I tried to fight something magical that I didn't understand once.  And I nearly got killed.  I'm not making that same mistake again.  I know my limits now."

"Do you?  I doubt it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

All this maneuvering on the crowded sidewalk wasn't easy, but he managed to dart ahead of her and force her to stop.

"Am I the only one that's, like, _been_ here these past few days?  Was I the only one that saw you trounce them?  Over and over again?"

Meilin lifted her chin.

"It was different!  I didn't know any better.  And it was so close every time!  I can't believe how lucky I was that we made it this far."

"Lucky?" Eric repeated in disbelief.  "You're kidding me, right?  Lucky?  With all your strength, and your skill, and all that training you told me about – you think you were lucky?"

"I don't 'think,' Eric. I know what I'm talking about."

"What is WRONG with you?" he burst out, causing her to jump slightly.  But he couldn't take it anymore, this was getting ridiculous.  "Would you _wake up_?  Can't you see how strong you are?  How amazing, and how special, and how wonderful you are?"

She stared at him frozenly as he ranted, too surprised to bring herself to deny him.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Meilin, you can't keep forcing yourself to say that you're worthless.  Deep down, you know it's not true.  You've fought these guys; you _can_ fight these guys."

"But the magic -"

"Screw the damn magic!  Last night you were screaming that you could handle this on your own.  What's happened since then?  Nothing.  You're just convinced that you can't do it because of everything your parents said to you!"

"They -"

"They were assholes, Meilin, and you know it!  They didn't deserve you.  And neither did that jerk from last night!"

He never even saw her fist flash out, it was so quick, but the blow nearly knocked him to the sidewalk and left him with a ringing pain in his jaw.

"Don't you dare speak that way about him!"

And then she was gone, marching on at a clipped and angry pace.  He rubbed his jaw tenderly and swallowed a groan.

"Guess I should have seen that coming," he muttered, and hurried to catch up.  "Hey!  Wait up!"

"No.  I am not speaking to you anymore.  It's over, Eric.  Accept it and go home.  Forget about me."

"Like it's that easy."

"It is."

"Do you really mean that?" he asked, a hint of pain in his voice.  Meilin actually hesitated, and her stride slowed.  "Are you serious?  Is it going to be that easy to just turn around and leave me behind?  After all that's happened?"

"O-of course," she forced herself to say.  "It's just been a few days."

"A few days that I know have changed my life forever.  How about you?"

This time he was sure that he saw her swallow before she replied.

"It doesn't matter one way or another.  This is not the time for such things; you could die here in this city.  Doesn't that frighten you at all?  You were scared before; what happened to that?"

Now she was the one looking at him, her eyes pleading with him to see reason.  They rounded a corner to enter another lively street of cafes and tourist hotspots.  A burst of melody from a nearby restaurant reached his ears.

"Yeah I was scared.  Still am, a little.  But I guess I realized that I had more important things to worry about than death."  He reached up to cup one side of her face as she halted mid-step, and for a moment he saw her weaken.  Then she shook her head and pushed his hand away.  

"This is foolish, Eric.  You can't throw your life away to remain with me.  I'm not important enough for that."

"I think that's my decision.  And you still don't get it.  I'm not throwing away my life to stay with you.  I have to stay with you; I need to stay with you."

"What?"

"My blood is glowing, Meilin.  I'm primed to feed these guys, but what if nothing happens?  What if I do escape and go back home, then what?  Do I just live the rest of my life with this symbol on my back?  I can't do that – who knows what will happen.  So you see, I can't run away, not this time.  I have to stay and face it."

He could see the truth of his words settle into her eyes, reluctant and stubborn though they were.  He knew she understood, even if she didn't want to admit it.  Taking her hand in his, he led her to a patch of sidewalk under the open window of the restaurant.  Western music blared through, and he rested a hand on her hip.

"Hey!  What are you doing?" she protested, looking a little thrown by the sudden shift in activity.

"It's called dancing.  Jessie made me take lessons with her.  Kinda fun, when there's good music on."

So bye, bye, miss American pie… 

_"Drove my Chevy to the levy when the levy was dry,"_ he sang along whimsically.

"Stop it, Eric!  We're not through."

"I think we are.  I've made my reasons clear, and I know you agree.  And I'm demonstrating my final point."

He pulled her close and began to guide her into the steps.

_Them__ good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye…_

"Let me go!"

"No.  We're in this together, Meilin, we have been since that first night.  You made a decision to help me when they attacked, and you have to stick with it.  You can't just give up and send me home."

She wasn't fighting his hands anymore, he noticed, and he raised his arm to twirl her again.  This time she adapted.  There was still resistance in her eyes, but her body was too accustomed to graceful motion to not follow through.  

"There is no one else," he stated firmly, "that I trust.  No one else that can help me.  Only you."

Meilin felt the last of the fight in her crumble at those words, and the sincerity in them.  Dazedly she allowed him to slide his hands down her arm and step away, and when he beckoned with the crook of his finger she obeyed, spinning twice to return to his arms.

"You're my hero, Meilin," he whispered into her ear, holding her close.  "I'm depending on you."

Singing, 'this'll be the day that I die…' 

*****

Meilin watched another tear fall, splattering next to her left shoe.  It was the second one, falling near the first, and she could feel another preparing itself.  She sighed, and gave a half-hearted attempt to hold them back, but it was no use.  She was in trouble, and she had been sent outside to sit on the steps to think about what she did.

Except she didn't know what she did.  She only knew the pain of the bruises her father had inflicted the night before, her aching and empty stomach, and the hot burning sensation of the forthcoming tears.

Arms wrapped around her knees and hugging them to her chest, she was far too sunk into her inner misery to notice anyone approaching.  It wasn't until she heard the soft _peep_ that she looked up.  

First she noticed the bird.  It was small and plain, speckled brown feathers fluffed out as it hopped from one side of the cage to the other.  One pair of black eyes locked with another, and the bird peeped again before settling and cocking its head to one side to examine her.  Meilin felt as though she was being studied, and unconsciously copied its motion so she could hold its gaze.

"Do you like her?" asked an older voice.  That was when Meilin realized her aunt, a quiet family member who had rarely spoken to her before, was kneeling down before her on the steps and holding the birdcage.  The bird chirped at the sound, then cocked her head to the other side.  Meilin imitated her, almost smiling.  Shy about speaking – speaking only seemed to make her parents angrier with her – she nodded timidly.

"Good.  She is lonely, separated from her family.  I told her that perhaps the two of you could be friends."

"Friends," Meilin whispered the unfamiliar word and raised a hand to touch the bars.

"That's right.  It's a very important task, and I wouldn't entrust her with anyone else.  But I think you can do it all right."

The beautiful face of her aunt, normally so reserved and emotionless, was smiling kindly at her now.  It had been some while since an adult smiled at Meilin, and the lonely girl felt a flutter in her chest.

"I can bring you her big cage and some food this evening, if you agree.  Would you like to keep her for a little while?"

Meilin nodded.  She wanted to speak, she wanted to say thank you like she had been brought up to.  But now her throat was tightening, and it hurt, and her eyes were smarting with tears again.  She didn't understand, the bird wasn't making her sad, but she was crying anyway.  Her aunt didn't seem to mind, but stood and patted her softly on the head.

"I must go inside to speak with your mother; tell her about the bird.  Please stay here and get to know one another."

The graceful woman glided up the steps and disappeared through the front door.  And that was when she finally noticed that her aunt had brought along her son.  Sullen and quiet, Meilin had always avoided him at family dinners.  He made her nervous, the way he always glared so darkly.  He was doing so now, crossing his arms and refusing to sit down.  She wondered whether her aunt had meant for her to get to know the bird, or her cousin, and was about to ask when someone raised their voice inside.

"…and you should mind your own business, Yelan, this is none of your concern!  Such impudence is…"

Meilin cringed at her mother's harsh tone, and wondered if she was in trouble again.  But she could hear her aunt speaking louder now too, though she couldn't understand the words.  Was her mother angry about the bird?  What if she wouldn't let her keep it?  

The little girl clutched at the cage possessively and trembled.  Syaoran did nothing, just looked away.  After more words were exchanged, her aunt emerged once more and smiled at the children.

"It is settled, Meilin.  The bird will stay here for the time being.  I'm trusting you."

Overjoyed, she nodded in the affirmative.  Yelan bowed her head before turning to leave, and Syaoran copied her.  Then, almost as an afterthought, the tall woman looked back over her shoulder.

"One more thing.  My son begins his training in combat tomorrow.  He needs a partner of his age and size for his lessons.  He and Wei will be here tomorrow to collect you.  Please be ready."

Both children stared back at her in surprise, uncomprehending.  Meilin was the more puzzled, as she had known nothing of any combat training.  But Syaoran quickly grasped the meaning and opened his mouth with a rebellious attitude.  He'd been waiting eagerly to begin his training for a year now, and he'd be darned if he was going to do it with any _girl._

But his mother quelled his complaint with one look, and the two of them left Meilin alone with her bird.  

**

The sword flashed and gleamed in the light of the late afternoon sun as Syaoran sliced through the air.  First a block, then a slice, slice, whirl, twist, thrust, stab, slice, slice.  Spin once more, and the final stab. 

The lethal point was an inch away from the dummy's nose when Syaoran stopped.  Panting and covered in a thin film of sweat, he held the position for a few heartbeats.  The swordtip didn't waver as he forced his body to keep rigidly still.  Perfect focus, perfect technique, no chance of losing control even in the thick of battle.  It was the essence of a skilled warrior, and he had worked his whole life to achieve it.  Right from the very first day that he and Meilin had begun.

"Don't," he spoke aloud, never breaking the dummy's stare.

"Don't what?" his mother asked.

The stare was too knowing.  Syaoran twirled the sword once around his hand and took a step back.

"Don't try to convince me, don't try to talk to me, don't try whatever Sakura asked you to do.  Don't."

Yelan lifted those arched eyebrows of hers and clasped her hands.   

"Sakura left the house hours ago.  I just wanted to see how you were."

"I'm fine.  They never touched me."

"Not what I meant."

Syaoran snarled a little and swiped his sword through the empty air.  It felt good, but nothing was draining off this anxious energy.

"Why is everybody so convinced that I'm suffering?  It's not like this is any big deal.  Everybody knows I don't love her.  What happened last night probably should have happened years ago."  

Syaoran shot his mother a touchy glare, but she was too used to such looks to ever be intimidated.

"She's chosen her path, I'm not on it, and that's that.  Meilin and I are through."

There.  He'd said the words aloud, firmly declared them to his mother and anyone else that could hear.  He'd shout them from the mountains, if he had to.  He was the future leader of this clan, and he had spoken.  No one could force him to change his mind.

Yelan read all this in his eyes and bowed her head before turning to go.  But this time it was Syaoran that spoke up.

"You saved her.  Didn't you?  They never hit her again after we started training.  You gave her her strength."

His mother did not turn around, but her words were clear and unmistakable.

"Her strength was already there.  I merely lent a hand."

That was all, before she disappeared back into the house.  Syaoran was still for a moment, and then in a burst of frustration drove his sword into the earth.  It didn't make him feel any better, and after a second he sank to his knees beside it.  

The high flying spring breeze teased at his bangs, but the young fighter didn't move a muscle.  Everything was quiet, still, and waiting.

*****

"…and so, because rent control forces building owners to charge less than what their property cost them, a lot of them go broke and leave the business.  Demand exceeds supply, and we're stuck with the same homeless problem we had before.  Government just made it worse."  He finished drawing his graph on the napkin and displayed it proudly.  "See?"

Meilin shook her head.  "You are so strange, Eric, have I told you that?"

"I think so, yeah."

"If you care so much about all this, why don't you try to change it?  You can run for a position of authority in your country, right?"

"Me, cross over to the dark side?  Become a politican?"  Eric made a face.  "Don't even suggest it.  I'm a complainer, pure and simple.  Besides, I'm not looking to conquer the world like my father is, never wanted to.  All I ever wanted was an easy job that pays well, a Lexus, and a house overlooking the coast.  Plus a wife and 2.5 kids – Thomas Jefferson and Madison Masters.  Is that so much to ask?"

"Madison?  For a girl?"

"Madison is a great name," he said defensively.  "Fourth president of the U.S., secretary of the Constitutional Convention and cowriter of the Federalist Papers.  Then Monroe wrote his stupid doctrine and it all went downhill from there."

Meilin stared at him, then unexpectedly giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"You do find the oddest things to care about."

"I'm unique."

"That means 'strange', right?"

"Yes," he admitted grumpily.  "It means strange.  But anyway, you're not one to be talking."

"No, I'm ordinary.  Remember?"

"Oh that's right," he concurred, an edge of sarcasm in his voice.  "I forgot.  Miss Muggle could never be more than ordinary.  So don't lie, did you shoot the owl when it brought your invitation and bury the evidence?  Don't blame you, I wouldn't want to go to England either.  Freaking cold, that place is."

Meilin almost choked on her drink when he said that and tried to smother her laughter, unable to believe he'd gone there and too surprised to be angry.  Her aberration had never been anything but a source of misery and resentment, and she'd spent the morning crying into his shoulder over it.  That it was something to be joked about had never occurred to her.

And yet he'd pulled it off, with that carefree charm and disarming wink.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make me…" she groped for an appropriate word, "un-troubled.  No one can make me laugh like you do."

"It's a gift."

"I like it."

The intensity of his blue gaze shifted a little at those words, and she blushed when she recognized the significance of his look.  Trying to avoid eye contact, she refocused on her dinner and began toying with her noodles.  Her words stayed with her, though.

Happy… a long forgotten sensation.  She'd buried it years before, when she finally understood the truth about Syaoran and Sakura.  She had been sure she would never be truly happy again.  Now she wasn't so sure.

Not that she wasn't happy in Eric's company.  Oh no, there was no question about it.  And that was the worry.  Because if this carefree and easygoing companionship between them was happiness, then she had never known happiness with Syaoran.  

Deeply rooted beliefs were threatening to give way, and Meilin shook her head to clear it.

"That's weird," Eric spoke up, and she winced.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something and I -"

"I wonder where this came from."  Eric wasn't looking at her at all, she realized, but reaching to pick up something that lay between them on the table.  It was a flower, a very pretty one, but he was fairly sure that it hadn't been there a second ago.  He picked it up and fingered the crisp white petals.

"This wasn't here before, was it?  Is it a… lily?"

He knew next to nothing about flowers, but the familiar shape and color made him certain that he'd seen at least a picture of it somewhere.  Meilin was staring at it, her eyes a conflict of fear and relief.

"It's a lotus," she offered at last.  "My favorite."  She plucked it from his surprised fingertips and inhaled its scent.  "Would you excuse us for a few minutes, Eric?"

"What?"  At first he thought she was talking about her and the flower, then he swept his gaze around the outdoor patio of the restaurant they were eating in.  

It would have been impossible to miss the girl standing by the railing.  Her face had an Asian cast to it, but her skin was paler by far than the surrounding Chinese, and curiously vibrant green eyes returned his stare.

"You're sure?" Sakura asked again, standing up on her toes, wishing she could use the Jump Card for this, and scanning the crowded streets.  Kero grunted an affirmative from her purse.

"It's definitely what we felt over at Bird Street, if that's what you're asking.  And since the kid found them again by recognizing their sense last night, I'd assume we're dealing with the same crowd.  They must be close by."

Sakura nodded, feeling a little nervous.  She may have been powerful, but she was no warrior, and she did not particularly care to meet the Everlasting Dragons alone.  For the hundredth time she wished Syaoran had not stayed home.  It was just when she thinking about him that her gaze roved over the restaurant patio and she spotted Meilin.

"Did you say something?" Kero inquired after her startled gasp.

"I – uh, no.  No, I just got something caught in my throat."  She coughed loudly, then darted around the corner and out of view.  "You know what, Kero-chan, I think you should go ahead and get home."

"Huh?  But what about searching for that gang?  I'm telling you, I feel them really close by."

"Sure, but there's no sign of them anywhere.  Maybe they were just here recently and aren't around anymore.  Anyway, I think it's safe to say that they won't be starting any trouble in a crowded place like this.  I just want to have a cup of tea and then go home."

"But I wanna cup of tea!"

"I won't be able to sneak it to you in a place like this, silly."  She scooped him out of her purse and gave him a conspiratorial look.  "We're not getting anywhere like this, and I just really want some time to sit alone.  Tell you what, you know how Syaoran told you that his sister's cake was all gone?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I happen to know that he lied.  There's a slice hidden behind the milk in the fridge."  Kero gave a strangled gasp of indignation.

"He lied to me?  To me!"

"Well, what did you expect?  If you hurry home, you could have it for dinner.  I'll be along in a little while."

"Just lemme at it!"  It was all the impetus Kero needed, and he shot upwards.  Soon he was just a speck high in the late afternoon sky, flying home over the heads of the unsuspecting crowds.  Satisfied, Sakura returned to the street.  

Meilin was still there, eating dinner with the tourist that Syaoran had spoken of.  He brandished a napkin, showing off something he'd drawn, and for some reason Meilin laughed.  Sakura almost teared up with relief.

She looks well.  Happy.  And she's laughing!  Oh, Syaoran, if you could see her right now.  I've never seen her smile like that, not even for you.

Feeling as though she was witness to something precious, Sakura hovered by the railing and clasped her hands together.  They spoke some more, and then he said something that made her laugh into her drink.  The conversation paused, and she looked down at her plate.  Now seemed the time, but Sakura hesitated before calling her name.  Syaoran's bitter hurt after Meilin had run from him popped into her mind, and she had an image of a startled deer fleeing back into the forest.  This was a miraculous chance; she couldn't afford to waste it.  Tomoyo was so much better at these things… what would she do?

Sakura thought for a moment, and then something occurred to her.  Smiling, she reached for the Flower Card, and whispered the incantation.

It was a few seconds before they noticed it, but she knew Meilin understood right away.  Without looking up, she spoke to the stranger, who was far less subtle about it.  After trading stares with Sakura for a moment, he reluctantly stood up and backed away.  Sakura smiled her appreciation, waited until he was sitting at the bar, and then approached the table.

Except now that she was finally with her, she had no idea what to say.  Meilin stared at her from across the table and waited for her to begin.

"Thank you for not running," Sakura ventured with a hesitant smile.  Meilin half-smiled herself, and shrugged.

"I figured it was this or you would just trap me in the Loop Card.  And no offense, but I've already run that race."

Sakura's smile grew, remembering that day.  "You know I wouldn't do that to you.  I just wanted to see you.  We've all been pretty worried, you know."  Guilt flashed across Meilin's face, and then it was gone again.  "We all came down as soon as Li-san called."

"That's what I figured," Meilin admitted, "when I saw him.  Who else came?  Tomoyo?"

"No, she couldn't get away from schoolwork.  It's just me and Syaoran and Kero-chan for the time being.  But if we're still here when she's done, I'm sure she'll hop the next flight down."

Meilin emitted a quiet snort and looked away.  "She doesn't have to bother.  I'm not worth it, you know.  You all could have stayed home."

"Meilin, how could you say that?" Sakura chided.  "Look at everything we've been through together.  Especially you and Syaoran.  How could you think we wouldn't come to look?"

"I wasn't thinking," was the toneless reply.  "I wasn't thinking about anything.  I still don't understand how it happened.  I just met him, and one thing led to another… I never really had a chance to look back.  It was all so quick.  And I am sorry, I really am.  I never meant to cause you worry."  She stiffened and a little of her old glare returned to her eyes.  "But I'm not going back.  I won't go back to that, not now."

Sakura shook her head in emphatic denial.

"Oh no.  I would never make you go back to that.  I saw what you lived with."  Meilin flushed and looked down.  "But I know that you were going to leave," Sakura added, causing Meilin to look up again.  "I found your passport and the money, Meilin.  You were going to run away, weren't you?"

After a long moment, the darker-haired girl nodded.

"Why didn't you tell us?  Or at least me?  You know you could have come to Tomoeda anytime, you didn't have to endure that.  Even if you didn't, um, want to live with Syaoran again, you know you could have stayed with Tomoyo.  If it came to that, I would have shared my room with you."

Meilin smiled wanly at Sakura's pleading words, but she was shaking her head gently.

"Sakura, Sakura.  That money- I wasn't going to run to Japan."

It was so unexpected that Sakura almost didn't grasp the meaning.

"You – what?"

"I wasn't going to go to Japan.  I hadn't decided where yet.  Singapore maybe, or Australia.  Maybe even America itself.  But I wasn't going back to Tomoeda.  Not back to living in your shadows anymore."

She would have laughed at Sakura's stricken expression if her friend didn't look so aghast.

"I would have written, of course, to let you all know that I was safe and sound.  But don't you see?  There wasn't anything for me in Japan.  No way for me to make something of myself.  There was only Syaoran."  Her face clouded over a bit.  "And he's not enough.  Not anymore."

For a moment, Sakura couldn't speak, but she forced herself to nod.  "I see."

Meilin wasn't so sure she did, but she let it go and took a sip of her iced tea.  

"This is tearing him apart," Sakura said quietly.  Meilin's expression didn't flicker, but her hand clutched at the glass a little more tightly before she set it down again.  "Ever since his mother first called to tell him.  He's hardly slept, hardly eaten; he's consumed with worry about you."

"Let me guess.  He was convinced that I was in trouble; needed rescuing?"

Sakura flushed a little, and Meilin gave her an I-thought-so look.

"Still the same old Syaoran.  We trained as equals for all our lives, but he always had to assume control.  Always saw fit to order me around in Japan, when searching for the Cards.  He tried to do it again last night."

"Don't feel too bad," Sakura tried.  "He ordered me around in the beginning too, a lot."

"He got over it.  He had no choice but to respect your power.  Me… he sees nothing there.  I'll always be the girl at his beck and call, and I can't even really blame him.  Not after the way I groveled at his feet for so many years."

There was pain in that voice, and shame.  Sakura blew her wispy bangs out of her eyes and studied the girl across from her.

"Well, I guess it's time for him to rethink his attitude.  Believe me, after last night he'll think twice about ever ordering you to do something again."

Surprised, Meilin realized that Sakura was actually fighting a smile.

"What about you?  Aren't you angry?"

"Well, I wish you hadn't made us worry so much.  But no, I'm not angry."  Sakura's gaze flitted past Meilin to rest on that blonde stranger again.  He was perched on a barstool, watching them over the rim of his drink, not even pretending to look away when she made eye contact.  "Who is he?"

"He's…"  Meilin tried to find the words to describe Eric.  "He's just someone that needs me."

"Oh."  Sakura considered that.  "You know, we needed you too.  We couldn't have caught the Twin Card without you."

Meilin hmphed.  "One out of fifty two.  Glad I could be there for you."

Sakura winced a tiny bit.  "I never thought you were useless, Meilin.  You know that."

"Yes.  I know.  But it doesn't change things.  My whole life, with the family, finding the Cards… Syaoran…  I've always been expendable.  For the first time ever, someone really _needs_ me."  

Much to Sakura's surprise, a couple tears welled up in Meilin's eyes and began to drip down on her food.

"He's desperate to stay by my side; he refuses to leave me.  It feels so… I can't describe it, even.  It's like nothing I've ever felt before."

Sakura's heart went out to the girl across from her, and she leaned over with a napkin.

"Shh, it's not something to cry over.  This is a good thing.  You've found someone that can do what Syaoran never could."

"I know."  Meilin dabbed at her cheeks and tried to get control of herself.  "I'm sorry.  It's all just been so confusing lately.  Someone like him was unexpected."

"For all of us," Sakura replied dryly.  She sneaked another glance at the man at the bar, noting the way his tan contrasted with his sun-streaked hair.  He wore his black button-down shirt casually, with the sleeves rolled up and untucked, but it didn't conceal his lean frame.  "Syaoran didn't mention how cute he was."

Immediately Meilin blushed.  The sight of it was so foreign and surprising that Sakura almost giggled.  

"It's not what you think."

"Really?  What do I think?"

"You're thinking that…" Meilin's voice trailed off as her skin got even hotter with embarrassment.  "Well, you know."  

Only a girl would have noticed the telltale fidgeting and blushing, and Sakura was alert for the signals.

"Has he kissed you?"

Meilin gave a minute nod, and Sakura squealed excitedly.

"That's great!  Isn't that wonderful?  I can't wait to tell Tomoyo!"  

"Hold on," Meilin interposed hastily.  "It doesn't really mean anything; I mean, I told him to stop."

"Why?"

"I don't know… It just didn't feel right.  It made me feel so strange inside."

"That's how it's supposed to feel, the first time," Sakura said wisely.  

"No, not like that.  Like it was wrong, somehow.  Not the right man, not the right way.  None of it was supposed to happen this way."

"Welcome to life, Meilin.  Nothing happens the way we expect it to.  I should know that more than anyone."

Her friend didn't look convinced, and Sakura rested her chin in her hands thoughtfully.

"I spent years of my life loving a certain young man.  He was every inch the wonderful person that I thought he was, and dreamed to be with.  But he didn't love me back, not like how I wanted him to.  He was perfect, and yet… somehow, I ended up with someone even better."

She smiled and shrugged in a resigned kind of way.

"Love is like that sometimes.  Pouncing when you least expect it."

For a minute or so the table was utterly quiet, and Sakura waited for her words to sink in.  Meilin had a glazed look in her eyes, and the Japanese girl decided she'd said as much as she could.  It was probably time to go.

"I guess you should get back to him," she finally said, and pushed away to stand up.  "I don't suppose you'd both like to come back to the house?"

Meilin smiled but shook her head.  "I can't do that."

"I thought so.  But we'll be there when you're ready."  Sakura turned to go, then remembered and looked over her shoulder.

"By the way, happy birthday."

The look of surprise on Meilin's face was too funny, and she chuckled.  Meilin stared at her friend, mentally trying to count the days since she'd met Eric.  It couldn't have been more than three – or was it four now?  The sunsets all seemed to blur into one another; it was too difficult to distinguish one from another.

"It's Thursday already?"

"That's right."

After a second, Meilin's smile grew to match Sakura's.  She'd forgotten all about it in the excitement, but today she turned seventeen.

"I'll be going now.  Ja ne."

Not 'sayonora', Meilin thought curiously, and watched her friend walk away with confident strides.  Sakura had changed a lot from that timid girl facing the Fight Card, grown surer of her abilities and the people around her.  She evidently didn't fear that she would never meet Meilin again.

Meilin hoped she was right.

-------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters


	10. ch10 true desires

Chapter 10 

**'true desires'**

The girl was gone, finally, but Meilin had not turned to look at him yet.  She was still staring off into space, twirling that flower lightly between her fingertips.  Too anxious to wait any more, Eric left the bar and approached the table.  

"Ahem.  Meilin?"

"Hai?" she responded vacantly, and Eric gave her a quizzical look.  

"Um, hi.  Are you… all right?"  

She had such a glazed, confused look in her eyes when she finally met his gaze, as if she couldn't quite remember who he was.  That frightened him more than anything, and he knelt beside her chair to place his hand over hers.  

"Hey, it's me.  The loudmouth American, the one that you're keeping alive.  Right?  I'm the guy that's depending on you."

Please don't say you've changed your mind.  Please don't leave me and go back to them.  Don't go back to him, Meilin, stay with me.  Stay with _me_.

His words must have reached her, because something in her expression stirred and clicked, and then she was with him again.  They were so close, like this, and when she looked at him she allowed a hesitant smile.  

"That's more like it.  I'm the guy that you can smile with."

And don't you forget it, he mentally threatened everyone else.  Men that wanted to kill him, her boyfriend, strange girls from out of nowhere… it seemed everyone in this town was out to get Meilin away from him.  

Eric did not feel like sharing.  

"So can I ask who that was?"

Some of that distant thoughtfulness returned to her eyes, but Meilin's smile did not fade.  Instead, it took on a hint of irony.

"She's my best friend."

"Oh."  A pause, and then, "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Did she convince you to go back home?"

Meilin's hand moved under his until she clutched at it securely.

"Nothing could ever convince me to go back home."

A shaky sigh of relief as she squeezed his hand, and then Eric couldn't hold back but rocked forward to envelop her in a tight hug.  She was a little taken aback, but Meilin didn't move as he embraced her.  Everything had been so tangled lately, so new and confusing.  But this she understood.  Eric wanted her to stay with him.  

She didn't return the hug – that she could not make herself do.  But she could sit there, and be held.  And that is what she did.

*****

"Oh my," was all Tomoyo had to say when she was done explaining.  Sakura rolled her eyes as she sipped her tea.  It was so much more fragrant and spicier here than back in Japan.  Strong tasting, but good once you got used to it.  

"I was hoping you would have something better than that.  I called you because I am way in over my head.  I need some help here."

"Well, it's a lot of information to take in," her friend replied defensively.  "Makes me wish I was there.  I would have loved to capture her laughing on tape."

"Me too.  It was more than just the laughter though, it was everything.  She was smiling so naturally, her expression so relaxed.  Even after everything that's happened between her and Syaoran and running away – for just the few minutes that we were talking about him, she seemed so happy."

"That's wonderful."

"I thought so too.  Meilin doesn't agree, though."

"She just needs time," Tomoyo declared firmly.  "You did too."

Sakura shrugged, forgetting for the moment that such an action could not be seen over the telephone.  It didn't matter, Tomoyo knew she was doing it anyway.

"So what's the problem?"

"The problem is that she's still in danger," Sakura reminded her.  "Except I don't know why or how.  I only know who.  I should have brought it up at the restaurant, but somehow I just couldn't bear to.  I was afraid it would break her trust, make her run away like she did from Syaoran.  I couldn't afford that."

"Good idea," Tomoyo concurred, and Sakura smiled with relief.  If Tomoyo agreed, then she had probably done the right thing.  But that didn't erase her anxiety.  With her free hand she continued to doodle a sketch on her napkin.  Already a stick figure with long straight hair stood in the corner, holding hands with a smiling young man.

"That's mostly why I sent Kero-chan away, I think.  Even if by some miracle he didn't insult her, he would have insisted on following her afterwards.  I wanted to, but I was scared she would spot me.  Think how hurt she would have been."

Casually she scribbled a clump of little men with angry scowls and bands across their foreheads, in the upper left corner.  They were fighters that could live forever, warriors that could train for decades and still retain bodies in top physical condition.  They must be incredibly dangerous.  

"You did the right thing, Sakura," Tomoyo soothed.  "Don't worry about it so much.  What's important is that she was never kidnapped and is all right, for the time being.  This cult may be dangerous, but she is a tough girl.  She can take care of herself."

"You're right, but still…"  How had Meilin ever come to be in their crosshairs in the first place?  She drew a little arrow with a question mark from the Dragons to Meilin.

_It was all so quick… I never had a chance to look back._

What was so quick?

"Li-kun said she was fighting off four of them when he found her, right?  She must be holding her own."

"It's difficult to get a coherent story out of him about last night, to tell the truth.  He could hardly say a word without launching into a tirade about how reckless she was being.  Then he called someone – I'm still not sure who – and stopped talking about it, period."

That was the second time Li had managed to find Meilin in that crowded city.  It couldn't have been a coincidence.  He said he was following the sense of that gang, but what about the first time, in Bird Street?

"I wonder if he said the same things to her," Tomoyo mused.  "She's very proud of her combat skills.  I can see why she would be angry when he interrupted the fight."

"Of course," Sakura whispered.  How did Tomoyo always know the right answer for everything?

_He's just someone that needs me.  _

"What did you say?"

"Of course, Meilin is trying to fight them on her own!  Because she's needed."  

_He's desperate to stay by my side; he refuses to leave me._

Sakura drew an arrow from the American to Meilin with the kanji character for 'help'.  Things were rapidly falling into place.

"Sakura?"

"I think I got it.  She's not fighting them for herself, she's doing it to protect the American.  I don't know how they met, but I think the Dragons must be after him, and she's keeping him safe."

"That does make sense.  But why are they after him?"

"I don't know exactly, but he's a part of their cult magic.  Syaoran and Kero-chan were following his sense when Syaoran saw her in Bird Street.  And again last night, although he said it was much stronger.  Kero-chan said he felt the same thing a little while ago, right when I saw Meilin with him.  And I could feel it too, the whole time I was with her.  The Dragons and the American, they feel the _same_, magically.  Perhaps they need him for some ritual that lets them live longer."  Sakura wrinkled her nose as she sketched an arrow from the Dragons to the American, with the kanji character for 'sacrifice'.   She didn't much care to hear about the practices of dark magic, and most of what she knew stemmed from hearing Yue and Kero talk about sorcerers Clow had fought.  The thought of Meilin facing such a group on her own made her skin crawl with trepidation.

"If that's so, then surely this American can fight them."

"I doubt it.  Otherwise he wouldn't need Meilin to fight for him.  He's no sorcerer, of that I'm sure.  I'd bet that he knows less about this than Meilin.  Poor guy."

Sakura looked at her little drawing, with arrows connecting Meilin, the American, and the Dragons in a complicated triangle.  Then, as an afterthought, she drew Syaoran in the corner.  But there were no arrows to draw to him, no way he was really connected to any of this.  No wonder he was nursing such a grievance back at the house.  If there was anything that he hated, it was being a bystander to someone else's fight.

"She's forcing him," she sighed, and for once Tomoyo didn't follow.

"What?"

"Meilin.  She's forcing him to go through what she must have been feeling during that whole mess with the Cards."

"Sounds like it.  They're so alike, you know.  Both have their pride.  Meilin's always been the one to put hers on hold, but this time it's his turn."

"That's it exactly.  He's so hurt, and he's worried about her too.  He's pretending that it doesn't matter anymore, and he wouldn't even leave the house today.  But I know he's affected."

"I think," Tomoyo decided, "that no matter how things turn out, those two are going to have to have a long talk.  I hate to say it, Sakura, but I don't think there's much that either of us can do.  Not this time.  This needs to be worked out between Li and Li."

"I think you're right.  I just hope that we get to a point where that can actually happen."  Sakura drained the last of her tea with a frustrated gulp.  The way things were going, they'd be lucky to ever have Meilin and Syaoran in the same country again, let alone room.  

But, as Tomoyo pointed out, there wasn't anything she could do about that.  Sometimes these things just had to be worked out without the assistance of the Card Mistress.  

"It's getting dark, Kero-chan might be worried.  I should probably get back to the house."

"Any thoughts on how long it will be before you're back?"

"Not really.  If Meilin doesn't want to come back, then I certainly can't make her.  Either way, I should be back in plenty of time for the first day of school.  How about your homework project?"

"In the final wrap-up.  If you're not here by the end of the weekend, I'll be there."

"You really don't have to, Tomoyo.  I don't think you could change her mind."

"I wouldn't try," Tomoyo responded immediately.  "If you ask me, I think this is exactly what she needs.  But I wouldn't mind just seeing her.  If for no other reason than to meet this infamous American."

Sakura laughed at that, and dropped some change by her empty teacup.

"All right, then.  I guess only time will tell.  I'll see you in a few days, hopefully."

"Ja ne."

"Ja ne."  Sakura hung up, stuffed the napkin into her pocket, and started walking.  Unlike the night before, it was a beautiful twilight evening in Hong Kong, with the sky turning a rich velvet blue above the city lights.  The moon rose like a silver bubble over the oily calm water, and abruptly Sakura stopped walking.

She'd been a sorceress too long, been working with Yue too long, to not be attuned to the phases of the moon overhead.  Through him she could feel the waxing and waning power it brought with its various stages of visibility.  The moon affected so much of life on earth, from ocean tides to sex drives, and magic the world over throbbed to its pulse.

And tonight the moon was full.

I don't know about last night, but night before last I'm sure it was full.  I remember looking at it before trying that fortune-telling with the Cards.  If Meilin disappeared just two nights before the first of the full moons, and tonight is the last, then what does that mean?

It was nothing more than a hunch, but Sakura was already pulling out her phone.  Kero-chan had told her long ago that her instincts were keen when the world of magic was concerned.  And Sakura had seen her hunches come true too often to ignore this.  This last full moon meant danger.

"Kerberos here!"

"Kero-chan, quick, where's Syaoran?"

"I dunno.  Hey, how come you're not home yet?  You didn't go out to dinner, did you?"

"Forget about that!  I need to talk to him, right now.  Could you find him for me, please?"

"Well…"

"Kero-chan!  This is important!"

"Hai, hai," he sighed dramatically, and after a few moments she heard his grunt as he hefted the phone and started flying.  "Kid!  Hey, kid, where are you?"

"Try the roof," she suggested, and after another several seconds of silence Kero shouted again.

"Hey kid!  Sakura's on the phone!"

"Tell her I don't feel like talking."  Sakura could hear him clearly, and stamped her foot in annoyance.

"Kero-chan, give him the phone!"

"She says it's important."

"I don't care."

"SYAORAN!" Sakura screamed as loud as she could, and had the satisfaction of feeling his aura flinch.  The people around her on the sidewalk gave her startled looks, but she hardly had the time to worry about them.

"What?" he finally snapped into the mouthpiece.

"It's a full moon tonight."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, Meilin first ran off a couple nights before the first full moon.  I think the Dragons need to perform a ritual using the American, and tonight is probably their last chance."

"What?" both he and Kero said at the same time, and Sakura gave a tiny groan.  There was no time to explain everything now, that sense of foreboding was growing more insistent.

"Never mind, I'll explain later.  I think I know why Meilin is fighting these guys.  But she doesn't know that tonight's their last chance.  You said you found them downtown before following them, where was that?"

"Last chance?" Syaoran repeated uneasily, before shaking his head slightly.  "It doesn't matter, Sakura, I told you before.  It's over with me and Meilin, she said she doesn't want my help.  I'm not a part of this, why should I get involved where I'm not wanted?"

"Syaoran!  Would you shut up and get over it?  This is your cousin we're talking about, and no matter what you say, I know you love her.  I know you don't want to see her hurt.  I know _I_ don't want to see her hurt.  So please."  She took a deep breath and mustered every ounce of persuasiveness that she could.

"Please, get down here and meet me.  She might need us.  Are you really going to sit by when she's in danger?  After all she tried to do for you when capturing the Cards?  Are you really going to turn away from her?"

There was no reply.

"Syaoran?"

*****

They walked back in silence.  The moon had barely begun to rise, but it was obvious that Meilin wasn't in the mood for any wandering tonight, no gymnastics or chatting over ice cream.  So he stuffed his hands into his pockets and trailed her across the marble floor of the hotel lobby, stopping just shy of her in front of the elevator.  

And there she stood, in front of him, smelling so good and looking just so damn beautiful.  Those wonderfully long legs, that svelte waist, her toned and supple arms.  The way she walked, and held herself, unconsciously declaring her agility and physical prowess.  That silky black curtain of hair, how it swished with her movement and practically shone with the reflection of lights above.  And most of all, her face.  So young but wise, experienced but naïve, determined but simultaneously unsure.  How could anyone not want her?  How was he supposed to keep himself in check, even after what happened that morning?

Especially after what happened this morning.  Maybe she wasn't ready, maybe she pushed me away, but it doesn't have to be like that forever.  She liked that first kiss.  There could still be a chance for us, if I try again.

Inside, the elevator was far too small for Meilin's liking.  Keeping her eyes steadfastly on the buttons, she didn't look up or even twitch when Eric reached to brush some of her hair back from her shoulder.

"You look really pretty tonight."  

She closed her eyes, part of her loving it and part of her wishing she couldn't hear him.  The alternating emotions of fear and wanting took her breath away, even faster than the time he'd blurted out that he thought she had a nice voice.  

It was becoming harder and harder to resist.

Eric did not miss the way her fists clenched ever so slightly, as if she was struggling to contain herself. 

"Do you really have to keep holding back like this?" he murmured.  In front of them, the doors slid open with a soft sigh.

"Always."  She escaped into the hallway before he could say anything, and he had to hurry to catch up with her long strides.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, please stop.  I can't take much more of this!"

The barely noticeable crack in her voice prompted him to turn and walk backwards, never breaking his gaze.  She kept her eyes on the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Yes.  Again."

"Great!  That means you feel something, at least."  She gave an indignant gasp as they reached their room, but Eric made no move to unlock the door.  "This denial isn't healthy, Meilin."

"You too, ne?  All of a sudden, everybody's convinced they know how I feel.  Doesn't anybody care about my opinion?  What about me?"

"I care," Eric assured her.  "I care a lot.  That's the point.  Why can't you just sit back and admit that you care too?"

Meilin stared at him for a long moment, fighting to maintain control.

"I," she said slowly, deliberately, "love… someone… else."

Eric bit his lip and straightened.

"You keep saying that.  I'm not so sure."

"What?"

"You left him, Meilin.  You turned around, and you chose to come with me last night.  Not him.  You insist that you love him…"  He gestured towards her, then placed his hands over his chest.  "But, you're here.  With me."

She was taking a step back now, shaking her head, trying not to hear.

"Tell me that doesn't mean something!"

"Stop it!  Stop trying to tell me what's in my head!  I love him!  It's the one true thing I've known all my life and I _won't_ let anyone dismiss it just because he doesn't love me back!"

Eric inhaled sharply, and she clapped a hand over her mouth.  She hadn't meant to scream it out loud like that.  But it was too late now, the damage had been done.

"He doesn't love you back?" Eric repeated, slowly and carefully.  He could hardly believe it, though it really should have been obvious, but still…

She gave a slow nod, expression pained.  

"He doesn't love you back.  You're still trying to stay faithful to him, and he doesn't love you back."

She winced at the blunt words, but did not reply.  Eric took her silence for agreement. 

"Oh my god," was all he could say at first.  "_Oh my god_.  You really are in love with pain.  No wonder you try so hard to be miserable all the time, no wonder you can't even deal with a stupid compliment!  You're too used to being neglected to handle so much as a kiss!"

"So what if I am?" she stormed.  "Maybe I don't need anyone to hold my hand and tell me I'm pretty.  Maybe I'm past that now.  I'm a fighter, I can take care of myself!"

"That doesn't mean you have to be alone," he shot back.

"I am _always_ alone."

The frozen hatred in her voice actually made him flinch, and unconsciously he pulled away.  Her face was masklike, she was so still, but her voice was choked with emotion.

"I didn't want to admit it when I was younger but I know it now.  It doesn't matter what you say, it doesn't matter what you promise.  It's never real, it's never true.  You found the bird, you brought her back for me, but it doesn't mean anything.  Nobody loves me, nobody even really _cares_.  Everybody goes.  _They all leave me_."

The dizzying pace of her words left Eric stupefied and at a loss, staring at her.

"You will too."  

She let the horrible quiet hang between them for another heartbeat before snatching the key card from his hand and swiping it at the lock.  Still standing dumbly in the hallway, he tried to speak too late.

"Wait, Meilin, I -"

The door slammed in his face, and he heard the click of the lock on the other side.  Eric was stranded, and timidly he rapped on the wooden surface.

"Meilin?  Meilin, open up."

No response.

"Come on, you can't just lock me out all night.  We- we have to talk about this.  I know you're upset, and you're scared, but you can't ignore the truth.  Maybe you loved him once, but not anymore.  You did choose to stay with me, for whatever reason.  And I just want you know that I'm glad that you did.  You mean something to me."

Still no answer, and he sighed in an exaggerated way.

"Fine.  I'll be downstairs in the bar when you're ready to talk.  Could I just -"

The door opened a crack, and his pack of cigarettes plunked squarely off his forehead.

"Thanks."  

There was no reply as the bolt slid home again, leaving him alone in the hallway.  

*****

As the sky grew a richer, darker blue outside, the lounge bar had begun to fill.  A few European sightseers, but mostly local Chinese, had gathered around tables.  No longer was it the starkly empty and private room that it had been that morning.  One American tourist with Pacific blue eyes and sun-bleached hair found himself a seat near the end of the bar, ignoring the others.  Instead he motioned in a resigned way for the bartender, and opened his pack.

Just two left.  He'd have to get another tonight.  Out of habit he stuck the spare in his shirt pocket, and held up the other for the bartender to light.  But it wasn't until he'd exhaled the first cloud of smoke that he realized he hadn't had to buy a new pack since he met Meilin.  He must have been smoking less each day without realizing it.

That does it, he thought, and reached for the phone, still sitting where he and Meilin had left it that morning.  Once again he dialed his calling card number from memory, but this time he wasn't calling his father.

Ring… ring…

Eric took the offered Scotch and sipped it, waiting patiently.  Finally, after the fifth ring, someone picked up.

"Hello?" slurred a groggy voice.

"Hey Todd, it's me."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line as Eric inhaled again, waiting for his best friend to wake up.

"Eric?  Jesus Christ, do you know what time it is?"

"I didn't feel like doing the math.  It's not like you've got class in the morning or anything, so wake up.  I gotta talk to you."

"Where the hell are you?"

"Hong Kong, remember?"

"Oh yeah."  Todd yawned loudly into the mouthpiece, and Eric could hear the sheets rustling as he sat up.  "Still?  What are you doing over there, anyway?  Don't you know Jessica's been coming by, like, every day?  She's been trying to find you since Saturday."

It said a lot for the week's frantic activities that Eric had no idea who Todd was talking about.

"Who?  Oh, Jessica, right."  He took another leisurely drag.  "How's she doing?"

"Who?" Todd repeated in disbelief, now fully awake.  "Is this Eric speaking?  The pathetic and sloshed mess that was sleeping on the frat house couch for three days and skipping class because his teacher slept with his girlfriend?"

"The one and only."

"Jessica's been going nuts, man, you should see it.  She keeps calling for you and crying all over the place, going on about how she's sorry and she made a mistake.  I think she wants to give it another chance."

"That's nice.  But I'm sure she and Professor McBoring can make things work if they just give it the ol' college try.  Tell her I said that."

"What the- are you drunk?"

"I'm on my first," Eric assured him, and smirked as Todd groaned out loud.

"You've met someone, haven't you?"

The pale smoke streamed out as he exhaled, then drifted in an insubstantial mist upwards before dissipating.

"Have I ever."

"Another tourist?"

"Nope.  Local girl."

"You hooked up with a Chinese girl for your rebound?"

"She's not a rebound," Eric automatically denied.

"Right," Todd drawled.

"Really, she's not.  I haven't even slept with her- well, we _slept_ together, but…"  Eric trailed off as he remembered their session in bed that morning, and sighed.  "Well, anyway, she's just sixteen."

"Sixteen!  Congratulations!"

"Shut up.  I really like this girl, Todd, I mean it.  She's special."

"Of course she is."

"I'm not kidding," Eric added sharply, and swallowed a rather large mouthful of Scotch.  Normally he stuck to beer, but he really felt in need of something stronger tonight.  "Things have been… undeniably strange since I got here.  Sometimes I feel like I fell through the rabbit hole and all I want to do is get home.  But then I look at her and I think, 'hey, things'll be all right.  I'm okay as long I'm with her.'  She is… indescribable.  Amazing."

"Rebound."

"I thought so too," Eric pleaded.  "That's exactly what I thought the first night.  But this is different than rebound.  I've done the rebound thing before.  This is something more than that."

Todd was silent for a moment as he took another drag on his cigarette.

"Eric, do you think you love this girl?"

Once again the exhaled smoke gathered itself into a small cloud before floating up toward the ceiling.  I couldn't say it upstairs, the young American was thinking.  It was too fast, too quick, she took me by surprise.  But when she declared that I would leave her, that I would do what everyone else has done to her for her entire life, I knew the answer.  There's no way I could leave her.  Not ever.

"Yeah.  I think I do."

There was a long sigh on the other end of the line, and Eric knew from experience that Todd was pinching the bridge of his nose out of frustration.

"Eric, it is way too late in the night to be having this conversation, but I'll humor you.  You left L.A. in a somewhat emotionally unstable condition.  If I know you, then you promptly got smashed as soon as you landed in Hong Kong.  However you ended up meeting this chick, I promise you that you were not rational and unbiased at the time."

"I agree wholeheartedly," Eric declared with a straight face.  "But that doesn't change things.  She's so different than anyone else I've ever met.  She makes me feel different.  We're complete opposites, but – but we complement each other."

"You're starting to sound like a bad eighties song."

"What can I say?  I'm in love."

"Stop saying that, Eric.  You are not in love, you just think you're in love.  I know you, man, I know how you hate to be alone.  If she hadn't come along, you would have just picked up the next girl."

"If she hadn't come along, I'd probably be dead," Eric commented wryly.

"What?"

"Nothing.  It's complicated.  I have had a week that you would not believe."

"Then I probably don't want to hear about it.  But you've got to wake up over there, Eric.  Snap out of whatever vacation-induced fantasy you've got going and look at the facts.  This chick, she lives there.  You live here, and school starts in four days.  You know you have to come home.  And Jessica, she's here.  She told me she's sorry and she wants you back.  Didn't you tell me you were thinking about proposing to her?  This is a serious relationship you've got here."

"And what I have with Meilin isn't?"

"Hey, calm down.  I'm sure she's a bundle of joy."  Eric almost choked on his drink with laughter, but managed to smother it in time.  "But she's a teenager.  Living on the other side of the ocean, for crying out loud.  What on earth would make you think that something like this could work?"

Eric had no answer for that, and could only stub out his cigarette with a little more vigor than was necessary.  

"Nothing," he finally admitted.  Todd was right.  There was no logic, no relationship wisdom, nothing to give any indication he had a future with Meilin.  

But today I learned there was such a thing as magic.  There is more to life than rational analysis.  Can't it work just because… it feels like it should?  

"Eric?  Hello?"

"Sorry, what?"

"I said, you're going to have to break it off.  I mean, you really don't have a choice.  This is something that just can't happen."

Choice.  That most precious of rights for a libertarian.  Hadn't he said as much to Meilin the night before?

"You're wrong, Todd."

"Come again?"

"There's always a choice.  I know it might be stupid, but I have to try.  She deserves to know, at least.

I have to tell her I love her."

*****

Meilin listened to the sound of his fading footsteps, then sniffled.  But she was not going to cry, not again, not after the flood this morning and last night.  She was all cried out, there were no more tears.  She hadn't cried this much in years.

Instead she perched on the edge of the bed and hugged her knees to her chest, tucking her face down in the dark crevasse for privacy.  Privacy from whom, she wasn't really sure.  Maybe the mirror in the bathroom, taunting her with the truth.  Meilin didn't want to see the truth, it had never held anything but pain for her before.  And this time it was even scarier than the last.

She was scared he might be right.  She was scared that maybe she didn't love Syaoran anymore, not like how she thought she did.  And she was scared of Eric.  This stranger, this smiling blonde foreigner who had unwittingly given her the things she'd craved for a lifetime.  Respect.  Admiration.  Friendship.  Smiles.  Laughter.

She wanted him, and that scared her more than anything.  She had been down this path before.  Wanting only led to pain.  And since she was scared of the pain, possibly even worse than last time, she buried her face and trembled.  

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't even hear his return, but cringed at the feel of his arms encircling her.

"Eric, don't -"

"My turn," Jing Kun whispered into her ear, and with a yelp she was dragged off the bed to hit the floor.  Thrown violently from her inner conflict to one far more dangerous, Meilin reacted too late and tried to kick.  But Jing Kun had the tactical advantage of surprise.  She had no chance to struggle free of his grip before he rolled once across the floor, under the cover of the bed.  This time, she was the one pinned, and he braced his forearms against hers, shins digging into her splayed legs just below the knee.  

It was as effective as any aikido hold, and Meilin squirmed under his weight with no success.  It was so dark under here, so stuffy and close.  His hot breath was right on her face, he was so close, the pounding of his adrenaline-heightened blood hot against her skin.  It was so dark… so close…

She whimpered as she felt her chest constricting, her breath growing ragged.

"Get- get off," she panted.  "Stop it!  Get away!"

His face split into a delighted grin, the teeth unnaturally white in the darkness.

"Not fond of enclosed spaces, are you?  I had a feeling that was the case.  I've seen fighters like you before, you know.  You're like birds fighting in mid-air, need your space to move around in.  I'm actually not too keen on them myself, but I can tolerate it.  If I'm in control."

He lowered his head and brushed his nose up the side of her face, toward her hair, inhaling deeply.  She whimpered again and tried to jerk her head away, but her limited range of movement left her totally at his mercy – at least, for the moment.

"Please," she rasped, mortified that he'd reduced her to this so quickly.  But she couldn't fight him, not trapped like this.  Frustration welled up in her throat and she knew she should scream, cry out for someone to help.  But there was no one to hear, no one that could save her from someone like this.  She was on her own.

Finally she quieted, lying still as she tried to control her breathing, head turned determinedly to one side so she would not have to face him.

"That's more like it.  There's no point in struggling; I'm not going to hurt you."

The sharp pain of his forearms digging into hers was making her eyes water, but she said nothing.

"I had to see you again tonight, I had to speak with you.  You are so fascinating; I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since you pinned me three nights ago.  I know you've been thinking about it too – wasn't that an amazing moment?  Couldn't you just feel the chemistry?"

She didn't answer, but closed her eyes as the traitorous memory flashed through her mind.  Yes, she remembered.  The triumph in gaining the upper hand, and the fear, and adrenaline, and most of all the way he had looked at her.  A look not dissimilar from the ones Eric had been giving her lately, but less kind, more demanding.  Frightening.

"You gave me the most exciting fight I've had in ninety-seven years," he murmured dreamily into her ear.  "And here I thought I'd never have a challenge again.  I've been doing this longer than any of the others, you know, I'm the oldest.  They all stop when they get bored, eventually everyone quits.  I was getting there when I met you.  You made it _fun_ again."

There was a warm wetness on her earlobe and she jerked her head upwards, trying to bang into his mouth.  He was too quick for her, though, and avoided her easily with a low chuckle.  

"You've got spirit all right, firecracker.  You'd have to, to fight us off.  I can't believe how long you lasted.  Of course, you lose tonight.  This time he has to go back with me."

Eric.

"If you hurt him I'll kill you," she snarled, turning to face him.  Her vision was adjusting, and she could see the superior smirk in his black eyes.  "I _will_."

"Ooh, protective.  You haven't left his side until tonight; I'm impressed.  What a hold on you he must have, to convince you to leave your family for him."

She stiffened in automatic denial, but there was a smug knowing in his eyes as his gaze traveled downwards, down to her neck.

"I see he's already made his mark on you.  Did it hurt?  Did you like it?"  He lowered his head, and she gritted her teeth as he placed his lips over the slight bruise Eric had left there that morning.  

At first he sucked gently, but increased the pressure quickly, pressing his teeth into her flesh and humming with pleasure.  She whimpered, she struggled, but he was simply too heavy.  After what seemed forever he pulled away, licking his lips in delight.

"Damn, you taste good.  No wonder he can't take his eyes off you.  The poor kid is absolutely smitten."  His expression turned fiercely hopeful, taking her by surprise.

"He's not for you, Meilin.  You're like me, you're a fighter.  People like him don't measure up to warriors like us.  We're the ones that should be together.  You could become one of us."

Meilin was almost shocked out of her claustrophobia.  This was the last thing she'd expected.

"What?"

"You're one of the best fighters I've ever met, you could become one of the Dragons.  You could live forever if you wanted, become an unstoppable fighter.  Respect, fear, power… it'll be yours."

She wasn't even resisting him anymore, and he traced his lips across her cheek.  Mesmerized, Meilin felt their movement against her own lips.

"Have you ever wanted to be powerful, Meilin?  Ever wanted to be _magic_?"

She closed her eyes, and for the longest moment of her life, she thought.  She thought about her failed test, and her parents' screaming anger.  She thought about being ignored and cast aside, being useless and expendable.  For so much of her lifetime she had dwelled on it, fixated upon it as the one thing that stood between her and happiness.  The magic was everything she'd ever wanted.

But the price was Eric.  And that was a cost she would never pay.

"It's not true power," she finally said, dully.  "It's not real magic.  You're stealing the life-force of others to keep yourself alive; you have to take from one and give it to another.  You are nothing but a thief.  And I will not become you."

Almost frightened at the sureness of her words, she watched his eyes darken and narrow with annoyance.  He was silent for a moment after she finished.

"Okay," he finally sighed.  "Guess I should go get him then."

Immediately she renewed her struggles, but she was losing feeling in her arms and legs.  

"Uh-uh, shh.  Relax.  We're all gonna die if we don't get his blood tonight.  I have to.  You can't stop me."

"I won't let you!"

"You can't do anything about it," he said practically, and watched the panic surge in her eyes.  "Oh, don't be sad.  This is for the best.  Once he's gone, I'll have you all to myself."

There was that superior tone again, and Meilin tensed.

"What are you talking about?"

"The others, they always split up and take off again once we've eaten.  But not me – I can't leave it like this.  I want you too much."

From the first moment of attack, Meilin thought there was something that smelled strange about Jing Kun.  The odor had bothered her, but concerned with escaping his hold, she had no time to wonder at it.  Now he was moving slightly on top of her, reaching to pull something out of his left sleeve.

"I'm here alone, and I can't get you both back to the ritual site.  So I have to leave you here.  I'll take him, and I'll kill him, and you'll be too late to do anything about it.  But you will be determined to punish me for what I did, so we'll fight."

He smacked his lips in anticipation.

"And we'll finally get a good fight, with no audience.  It'll be fantastic.  And when I win – and I _will_ – I'll take you.  It'll be just like our fighting: hard, fast, and brutal."

Meilin burned with humiliation as he slowly and deliberately licked her face.

"Mmm.  I can't wait.  And now I think I really should get going.  The blood has to be spilled by moonset.  Don't hold your breath now."

The object he had pulled from his sleeve was a small white cloth, pungent with some chemical.  Meilin squealed and tried to turn her head when he reached to cover her mouth with it.

"Come on, firecracker, don't be naughty.  We both know you can't escape this.  Time to say goodnight."

His eyes shone with glee as she struggled to keep clear, but it was of no avail.  Snarling his fingers into her thick black hair with his left hand, he held her still and pressed the cloth over her nose and mouth.  

It's the struggle he likes most, she thought drowsily, watching him lick his lips.  That's what he's after.  He wants me because I challenge him, because I'm a fighter.  

Eric.

He's going to kill him, and I can't do anything to stop him.  I can't escape this.  Jing Kun has won.  

His smirk was fading in and out of her vision now, as her eyelids fluttered shut.

No.  I made a promise to Eric.  I have to stop him, I have to get out of this.  But I can't… He planned this too well, he has me exactly where he wants me.  I can't do anything like this.  I always was useless…

Meilin's thoughts were starting to scatter; it was becoming an effort to think clearly.  Desperately she tried to will her mind away from shutting down.

I can't do anything like this.  Nothing but the one thing Jing Kun would never expect.  I could pretend to stop fighting.  I could give up.

Almost as soon as the idea came, she could feel her muscles relaxing, her body releasing the tension.  Her eyes closed, she let her head drop to the side with her expression calm and peaceful.  It was barely an act; she'd inhaled so much of the ether compound that most of her senses had already fled.  Through a dim fog she heard him chuckle.

"That's better.  Nice and easy, no pain.  Though that's more than I can say for later.  So rest up, Sleeping Beauty.  You'll need your strength."

Meilin was vaguely aware that the pressure on her arms was gone now, and fingers were stroking her face, holding her still.  Only the drug coursing through her blood and long hours of meditation kept her compliantly still during what happened next.  

Holding her firmly by her chin, Jing Kun parted her lips with his fingers and plunged his tongue into her mouth.  Deeply, lovingly, and invasively he explored her, until she was sure she would suffocate from lack of air.

It was the last sensation she felt before passing out completely.

**

After Eric had finished talking to Todd, he sat quietly, taking his time to finish off his Scotch.  Meilin was upstairs, probably still upset, and he wanted her to have a chance to cool off before approaching her.

Maybe he shouldn't tell her.  Maybe it would just scare her more.  But no.  She was convinced that nobody in this world loved her, and that wasn't right.  She had to at least know the truth about how he felt.

He nodded to himself and stood up, then remembered that he needed to buy more cigarettes.  With a little pantomiming, and broken Chinese and English on both sides, he managed to learn from the bartender that there was a vending machine in the back hallway behind the lobby.  After leaving a generous tip, he found the right door, and the empty white hallway beyond it.  Here the walls were cracked and stained with moisture, the floor bare wood instead of carpet.  A couple geckos disappeared into crevasses as he shuffled past, and the humidity and smell of soap in the air told him that this was just a service corridor.  The hotel's laundry facilities were probably around the corner.

But the cigarette machine was right here, and that was all he was concerned about.  Carefully he picked out the right coins and fed them in, then punched one of the buttons.  Gears clicked and whirred, and the pack dropped with a satisfying thump into the tray.  With a grunt of satisfaction Eric leaned forward.

"Those are _so_ bad for you," someone lectured, and he didn't even have a chance to flinch before a hand gripped his and twisted his wrist, driving him with a smack into the wall behind him.

It didn't particularly hurt, but Eric was so startled that he yelped.  Then his eyes met Jing Kun's, and he stiffened.

"You got lazy, gwei lo.  Splitting up…"  He shook his head and clucked his tongue disapprovingly.  "Very careless.  She should have known better, but she can't do anything about it now.  You're mine."

Eric didn't move, but clenched his fists at his sides.  Fear was charging through his bloodstream, but he would not give in without a fight no matter how hopeless it was.

"Where's Meilin?"

"You really don't have the luxury of worrying about her right now, you know.  You have your own problems to deal with."

"Did you hurt her?" Eric demanded anyway, anxiety for her swamping his other fear.  

Please don't let her be dead, he mentally begged.  Please, please, please…

"Relax.  She's just sleeping, she's fine.  You won't be seeing her again, though."

Eric snapped and, without thought of how he could hope to win, pushed himself away from the wall with his fist flying.  Jing Kun just laughed as he slid to the side, grabbing Eric's arm and twisting it behind his back to pin him against the opposite wall.  Eric hit the plaster dead-on, and winced at the shock of pain in his mouth.  Taking advantage of the momentary stun, his attacker planted a foot behind his and tripped him gently down onto his back.  

"You've got guts," Jing Kun praised, "I'll give you that."  Then he frowned in concern when he saw the thin line of blood welling up on Eric's lower lip.  "Uh-oh, look at that."

Casually he wiped up the blood with his index finger and tasted it.  

"Mm, delicious.  But we can't have you spilling blood all over the place, you'll waste it."

Repulsed, Eric tried to wriggle free.  But the Chinese warrior had his arm twisted at some weird angle above his head, and only exerted a slight pressure on his hand to make Eric yelp again.  

"I spent a little longer talking to her than I planned to, so we're in kind of a hurry.  Do me a favor and don't waste anymore time all right?  

We've got a ritual to perform."

----------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters


	11. ch11 the bloodletting

**Chapter 11**

**'the bloodletting'**

Hong Kong was a city that never let go of its warmth, not in the lower valley of thriving downtown, anyway.  Even at night, with the scant stars twinkling above, the moist salty air retained its heat.

Up this high, however, towering over the rest of the glittering city, there was a refreshing cool breeze.  It ruffled Eric's damp bangs, lifting them off his forehead.  His black button-down shirt whispered slightly with the movement, then settled again.  The sleeves had been pushed up to his elbows so that the chain could be wrapped tightly around his forearms, tying him to the crossbeam in front of him and leaving his wrists bare and vulnerable.  It was impossible to sit, or move very much at all, and all he had been able to do for the past half-hour was try to lean forward on the beam to get comfortable.  It was a lost cause anyway, the heavy rusted chain had been wrapped twice around his arms and pinched his flesh cruelly, padlocked and securing him to the beam.  

Trussed for slaughter.

Nobody was really paying attention to him, now that he was here, and most of his attackers were some distance away, running through a few drills and chatting.  Jing Kun was standing a little closer, taking a swig of his water bottle and then glancing up at the sky.

"Not long now," he said conversationally.  "We have to wait until it's reached the apex."

Above their heads, the softly glowing full moon moved steadily across the sky.  Eric glanced around the jumbled construction equipment and exposed steel beams.  At first it had been murky, but his vision was adjusting, and the light of the moon was bright enough to illuminate most of the surroundings.

"What, no incense or candles?  No ceremonial robes?"

Jing Kun chuckled.

"You've seen too many movies."  He moved over to an empty cable spool, and opened a small black box resting on its surface.  "It's actually pretty simple.  We pick a candidate, and we mark them.  Let 'em go free for a couple days – makes it taste better.  Like free range chicken, or some shit that you Americans are always going nuts about.  Scry to find them again, bring 'em up somewhere high with a good view of the moon…"

He reached inside the box and pulled out a sharp, wicked-looking ornamental knife.  Jing Kun smiled as he watched Eric's blue eyes focus on it, and began to casually clean it with a cloth.

"We cut open your wrists, drink every shiny drop, and that keeps us going 'til next time."

The callous tone coupled with the moonlight reflecting off the blade made Eric's stomach knot up in dread.

"How many times have you done this?"

"Every twelfth full moon.  I joined…"  Jing Kun tapped the knife hilt thoughtfully against his chin.  "about a hundred and fifty years ago."

Eric dragged his gaze from the knife to its holder's eyes.  

"So, you've killed a completely innocent bystander every year for a century and a half."

Jing Kun snorted contemptuously.

"They couldn't even defend themselves.  It was pitifully easy to overpower them; why shouldn't they die?  It's just survival of the fittest."

Eric shrugged and looked away, muttering under his breath.

"If that helps you sleep at night."

"What was that?" 

He started to say 'nothing', then remembered that he was going to die anyway.

"Some life," he said louder, scornfully.  "You've been on this planet all this time, and all you've managed to do is kill people.  Congratulations."

Even in the capricious moonlight he could see Jing Kun's eyes flash with annoyance.

"You shouldn't talk about things you don't understand, gwei lo.  After thieves killed my parents when I was ten, all I ever wanted to be was a warrior.  And after training for fifteen decades, I'm the best there is.  I'm honed.  I've _been_ doing something with my life, not like the pathetic stragglers I pick up every year."  He smirked deliberately at Eric's glare.  "Such as yourself."

When Eric didn't respond he continued, his tone gaining in superiority.

"I knew you were perfect the moment I saw you at that tourist bar.  All alone, no friends, no one to miss you when you disappeared.  All you could do that night was moan about your girlfriend and your father- poor little rich boy.  I did you a favor when I carved the symbol into your back with this."

He jammed the knife point down on the wooden spool, digging into the surface slightly.

"What a waste of life."

Eric seethed, but he didn't drop his eyes, meeting Jing Kun's smirk head on.

"Maybe.  But it's still mine.  You don't have any right to take it.  And for the record, my name is Eric."

Jing Kun didn't have an answer to that, but glowered silently at his prey.  Both were quiet for a moment before someone else grabbed a handful of Eric's hair and pushed his head roughly to the side.

"What are you doing, letting him stand there and talk to you?" Deng snapped grumpily.  "After all the trouble he's been?  I wanna torture this one."  Eric glanced at the white cast on this one's wrist and eyed him warily.  "He should be _screaming_ before he gets to die."

"Can't waste any of my blood," Eric pointed out, "remember?"

Deng gave him a level stare.

"Breaking every bone below your kneecaps won't spill a drop.  It'll be worth it, after everything that little bitch of yours did to us."

Eric hesitated only a second before leaning back and smashing his forehead into the other's nose.  Deng howled in pain as he collapsed against the concrete, holding his good hand against a sudden gush of blood.  

"Ouch," Eric muttered, leaning over to press his palm against his forehead.  That had really hurt.

Deng was a little more vocal about it, writhing on the floor and trying to stem the flow.

"Aaah!  He broke my fucking nose!"

The others looked their way in surprise, but Jing Kun just bit his lip to keep from laughing.  Deng had a murderous rage in his eyes when he sprang to his feet, and Eric gulped.

"Get ready to hurt," the Chinese man informed the American, and took a step toward his victim.  Eric braced himself, but Jing Kun caught his fist and twisted it behind him, pushing Deng none-too-gently away from Eric.  

"Back off, Deng, you'll heal.  Besides, it's time to start."  

A fresh surge of panic swept through Eric as Jing Kun closed his hand around the hilt of the knife, and waved the others over with it.  Then he turned back to Eric with an odd combination of gloating and sympathy in his eyes.

"Shall I tell her anything for you?"

Eric felt his heart wrench a little, and for the first time since his capture, almost cried.  Jing Kun was raising the knife, preparing to cut.  

Please, he thought miserably.  Tell her that I love her.  

*****

It was so close, so dark.  Meilin wanted to beat her hands against the walls with frustration, but it was hopeless.  She was trapped… she couldn't move.  She could hardly feel her arms at all, they felt dead and heavy, useless.  

Hate- hate it.  Trapped… tiny space… no room.  Something bad will hurt me here.

She wanted to scream as she kicked the green walls of the maze.  Walls everywhere, closing in, imprisoning her and sealing her away from the others.  Why did she have to be the one separated from the group?  

Alone… trapped… can't move… helpless… go-going to die…

"We're going to find you, Meilin.  Keep counting so we can hear you."

"One… two… three…"

The walls kept closing in.  She was going to die!  She was all alone and the maze would swallow her up; ensnared forever and no one would even notice.  

"Four… five… six…"

I have to get out of this maze.  I have to find Eric.

Eric?  Meilin stared uncomprehendingly at her green prison and wondered who that was.  There was something nagging at the back of her mind, telling her that this prison had no power to hold her here.  She was needed somewhere else.

"Seven… eight…"

But where?  The memories skittered away again, leaving her with a vague, unsettled feeling.  

"Nine…"

Somewhere, just beyond her vision, a bell rang.  Its soft and sweet chime penetrated the murkiness, crystallized her thoughts and brought them into sharp focus.  She was not going to die, trapped in this close space.  Someone had rescued her.  Someone was waiting for her to rescue him.

"Eric!"

Meilin jerked awake with his name on her lips, and winced at the rush of pain in her arms.  She was still on the floor, feeling stiff, and staring at the underside of the bed.  She couldn't move; her arms refused to obey her.  Why wouldn't they move?  She was stuck here, stuck in this dark space with no room to move!

She whimpered and kicked mindlessly at the floor, then remembered Eric.  She had to calm down, she couldn't waste time panicking.  Who knew how long she had been out.

Making an effort to slow her breathing, she squirmed and rolled onto her side.  Now she could see that her hands had been tied above her head; securely bound to the bedpost with Jing Kun's red sweatband.  A little extra insurance, in case she woke up too early, something to delay her just long enough.

No.  She would not let him imprison her like this, she could get free.  Carelessly tossed against the wall, under the window, was Eric's backpack.  Wriggling across the floor like an earthworm, she managed to come completely out from under the bed, which brought immediate relief.  Her foot could just barely reach one of the straps, and unsuccessfully she tried to hook it.  

The cloth strip was beginning to bite into her skin, but she willed herself to stretch out, forcing her legs to grow just a little bit longer…

There.  She had it.  Drawing her knees to her chest, she dragged the backpack closer, then pushed it toward her hands with her knees.  This was taking an undue amount of physical exertion, and for a moment her vision blurred.

She bit her lip, trying to wake up with the sharp pain.  She couldn't let herself pass out again, there wasn't any time.  She might be too late already, but Meilin tried not to think about that.  Finally her face was level with the backpack, and she rolled onto her knees to take the zipper in her teeth.  It was the small outer pocket, if she recalled correctly, unless he'd left it somewhere else.  Please, please, don't let it be somewhere else.

After a considerable struggle, she managed to unzip the pocket with her teeth.  Jostling the backpack with her knees spilled out the contents, and she almost cried out with joy when Eric's familiar lighter fell with a plunk on the floor.  It had fallen just close enough for her to reach, and impatiently she pressed the latch.

Once, twice, and finally she coaxed a spark.  The sturdy cotton was slow to catch at first, but then it began to blacken and char, and finally small flames licked upwards.  Anxiously she watched the flames creep toward her hands.  If the fire reached her skin before burning through the band, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.  But the symbol of the Everlasting Dragons gave in first, and just in time she pulled her hands free of the bedpost.

Whew.  She beat out the small flames and took a moment to catch her breath, very aware of how labored and unsteady it sounded.  Who knew what she had been breathing in, and how long it had been since.  She was in no shape to be starting a fight.

As if she had a choice.  A card was lying on the bed where there had been none before, and she opened it.  It was blank, with no printed greeting.  Nothing at all, except an address scribbled across the bottom, signed with the kanji character for Jing Kun's name.

He would be waiting for her there.  Whether Eric was still alive or not, he would be waiting, and expecting her.  Fit and ready to go, while she was still having trouble standing straight.  

She could just go.  It was probably too late anyway, and she could just go back home.  Forget about Eric and Jing Kun and the whole mess, and go back to being the ignored girl in the corner.  Maybe it wasn't fun, but it was easier. 

_There is no one else that can save me.  Only you.  You're my hero._

She only took a moment to tie her running shoes more securely, and then she was out the door.  

She didn't have a cent on her for a cab.  It woudn't have mattered anyway, traffic was at its usual standstill.  Instead she just ran, pounding down the sidewalk and weaving in and out of annoyed pedestrians.  This wasn't the time to pace oneself, or worry about lasting for long distance.  The moon was almost directly overhead.

Instead she sprinted for all she was worth, begging her body not to quit on her, dredging up every tiny reserve of strength and endurance that she had until she reached the commercial district.

Even if he hadn't told her the address, it would have been easy to guess, looking.  Towering over the other office buildings, the half-completed skyscraper loomed over her, no shadow now that it was directly under the moon.  In a city where leaning out the window had one half in the next apartment, it was about as much privacy as anybody was likely to get.

Panting hard, she got in the construction lift and pressed the highest button available.  The stitch in her side hurt so badly.  She hadn't extended herself like this since first training for the fourth grade marathon.  And her vision kept blurring.  Holding a hand over her heart, she listened to its unsteady beat with sick dismay.  She'd never gone into a fight worse prepared in her life, and he was the best.  Why was she doing this again?

Eric.  He needs me.  Maybe it's too late, but I couldn't do anything less than try.  I made a promise.

The lift door slid open.  She had guessed right.  They were all there, standing in a group in front of Eric, who was chained up helplessly but still very much alive.  Jing Kun was saying something, as he raised the knife.  The blade gleamed in the moonlight.  A moment passed, and Eric opened his mouth, looking as if he was about to reply to the other.  They were both still, and Meilin took a deep breath.

Here we go.

Right in front of her was a short length of iron pipe.  Not even stopping to think about it, she strode forward and ducked to pick it up, took careful aim, and hurled it at Jing Kun's hand.  There was a clang of metal on metal, Jing Kun's startled exclamation of pain, and both knife and pipe went flying across the concrete.  

Everyone whirled around to face her.  

Eric couldn't believe his eyes, sure that it must be some kind of hallucination, some fantasy.  She was there, breathing a little heavily but holding her chin up high, her hands planted on her hips and that long black hair blowing in the breeze.  It had to be a fantasy, she couldn't be there.  It was impossible.

"Oh my _god_!" Jing Kun wailed, shaking his hand in pain.  "I don't _believe_ it.  Were you faking, you bad girl?  You're early!"

Meilin shrugged nonchalantly, as everyone's eyes flew back to him.

"What's going on, Jing Kun?" Hu demanded.  "How the hell did she find us?"

"You told her!" Deng shouted hysterically.  "You were supposed to kill her, and instead you _invited_ her!  What in hell were you thinking?"

Jing Kun's eyes never left her face, ignoring the mutinous glares of his friends.

"Minor setback," he declared calmly.  "She's not up for a real fight, can't you see?  Just get the knife.  I'll take care of this."

For a few seconds nobody spoke, or moved, still glaring.  Jing Kun hissed slightly and snatched Peng by his collar, dragging him close.

"I said, find the goddamn knife."  He pushed his underling away and brushed past the others, not deigning to make eye contact with any of them.  Instead his gaze was on Meilin alone, scrutinizing her, studying her obvious weakness and growing sad because of it.  They both knew she was not up for this.

"You won't be able to save him," he said quietly, but loud enough for Eric to hear.  "And now I'll have to hurry.  It won't be special, like I wanted it."

He shook his head, stopping just out of range of her kick.

"Why did you have to go and do it like this?"

"I'm stubborn that way."

Meilin's eyes flicked past Jing Kun for a second.  She could see Peng in the shadows, in a half crouch as he reached for the knife under a wheelbarrow.  The others were spreading out, but not leaving Eric unguarded.  This was going to be a very interesting fight.

"I might have to kill you."

"Bring it on."

Dizzy though she was, she was prepared for his first strike and threw herself to the side, rolling across the hard concrete to keep clear of his attack.  Maybe she wasn't up to any combat against someone like him, but perhaps she could get around that.  All she had to do was get Eric out.  

Her hands snatched a coil of chain and she righted herself on her knees, flicking it out like a whip.  Just in time it knocked the knife clear from Peng's reaching fingers, and the blade skittered into the darkness.  Though she would have dearly loved to, there was no time to stop for breath.  Instead she turned around in time to catch Jing Kun's fist and trap it in the chain.  Wrapping and twisting, she threw him over onto his back and jumped to get clear of him.  It was more momentum and instinct that led her to block the next man's attack than quick thinking, and she kicked him clear of Eric.

"You have _really_ excellent timing," Eric praised, when they were face-to-face.

"Where's the key?" she shouted frantically.

"By the box!"

Box?  She half turned in time to see a small black box resting on the cable spool, but then someone was on top of her and dragging her away from Eric again.  An arm snaked around her neck, trying to put her in a chokehold, and she gasped for air.  In front of her, Hu smirked as he found the key and dropped it safely in his pocket.  

Meilin's vision was getting fuzzy again.  Angrily she stamped on his foot, then kicked straight over her shoulder to catch him in the nose.  Deng hollered out loud as he crumpled to the ground, unable to see for the sheer pain reverberating in his nose.  She paid no attention as she leapt for Hu, but someone intercepted her and dealt a ringing blow to her face.

"Uh-uh," Jing Kun chastised.  "Just me, babe, focus on me."

She'd hardly found her balance when he kicked her solidly in the solar plexus.  It was so hard and brutal that she flew a short distance, tumbling backwards when she hit the cement.

Eric cringed.

Meilin pushed herself up to her hands and knees, wheezing.  Her lungs protested every time she tried to inhale, and she could see her hands trembling in her blurry vision.  

"Ready to sit back and be good?" her attacker inquired.

"Never."  She jumped to her feet, using her momentum to deliver a sharp strike to his throat.  He just barely managed to jump clear, then sprang back with a high jump kick.  The others watched the pair battle their way savagely across the floor, not much inclined now to assist.  Hu eyed his leader, then turned back to the American with an ironic half-smile.

"Maybe they'll kill each other."  Hu had been working with Jing Kun for a century now, but if anything did happen to him, Hu had a good chance of assuming control.  "Could somebody please find the fucking knife already?"

Jing Kun heard him and snarled, snatching Meilin's punch and throwing her over his shoulder.  She crashed into a stack of plywood with a squeal of pain, and he turned back to his men.

"Don't you start without me, don't even think about it!"

Peng scrambled out of the shadows and passed the all-important knife to Hu, who didn't break Jing Kun's stare for a second.

"Why should we wait?  This is all your fault!"

"I will be _done_," came the terse reply, "in a _second_."

Meilin righted herself, only to have Jing Kun rotate into a reverse turning kick and smash his heel into her temple.  This time she cried out in pain as the force of the blow knocked her aside.  She crashed into something hard and metal, and then there was the dizzying rush of empty space beneath her as she slid off.  Distantly, she heard Eric shout her name and she opened her eyes.

Just in time her hands gripped at the cable to halt her freefall.  Preoccupied with the near-open rebellion among his men, Jing Kun had not been paying attention to how close they were to the edge. That last kick, made stronger by sheer irritation, had thrown Meilin clear off the floor and onto one of the protruding beams.  There, if she had been more than half-conscious, she might have been able to save herself.  No one had better balance than she.  But so close to passing out, she had rolled right off, and now she had only the dangling cable of the safety winch to cling to.  

Shocked, Jing Kun returned her stare from the lip of the floor and realized that he was now faced with a decision.  Left alone, she would climb up and renew the fight.  Take the time to confront her, and Hu and the rest would begin the ritual, and perhaps not leave any for him.  

It was time to make a choice.

Her hands slippery from sweat, Meilin felt her grip slide a bit as she tried to climb up.  Her enemy was staring at her, and shaking his head.

"It could have been different, firecracker.  Didn't have to be this way.  I'm sorry."

Numbly she watched him reach for the pulley above his head, watched him reach for the cable's clasp.  She should scramble back up to the beam, some part of her mind was ordering, but there wasn't enough time.  Not enough time to react, not enough time to save herself.  

Jing Kun unhitched the clasp, and she plummeted downwards.

"NO!" Eric screamed.

With a regretful sigh, he turned away from the edge and took a deep breath.  It was too bad, really, he'd so looked forward to having the perfect fight with her.  But if the price was missing out on the ritual, then so be it.

"It's done.  Let's get this over with."  Grouchily he marched back to the others and extended his hand for the knife.  As the strongest and unofficial alpha of the group, the privelege had always been his to first cut into the offering's flesh.

Hu hesitated a moment, then saw the dangerous look in Jing Kun's eyes and placed the knife in his hand.

Eric barely heard them.  He was still staring past them, couldn't tear his eyes away from the beam where Meilin had lost her life.  It couldn't be true – no, it couldn't have happened this way!  She couldn't be dead, it couldn't end like this!

Jing Kun raised the knife to cut, then saw Eric's expression.  Placing the flat of the blade against Eric's jaw, he turned the blonde to face him and spoke quietly.

"Don't worry.  You'll join her soon enough."

Eric couldn't respond.  He was still too numb, the horror had not really assimilated itself yet.  There was the light pat of cold metal on his cheek, like some kind of bizarre affection, and then Jing Kun lowered the knife to his wrists again.  Unwillingly, Eric's eyes flew back to the spot where she had died, and he almost fainted at what he saw.

Jing Kun heard his startled intake of breath, realized that the American was looking at something, and curiously turned to see.  There was a sharp clatter of the knife falling to the concrete below, and then everyone turned to look.

**

In a way, when she felt the cable snap and her body drop earthwards, Meilin was almost relieved.  It was over, and she had lost, and now she was going to die.  There was no more worry, no more pressure of being the hero and saving Eric.  It would be quick, and painless.  For so many years, huddling under her blankets in the middle of the night, the dark thoughts of suicide had brushed Meilin's mind.  Nobody loved her, her parents hated her, it would be so much easier to just die.  

But never had she given in to such thoughts.  She was too stubborn a fighter to give up, even when it seemed her life would be a neverending hell of abuse.  Now that death was coming so swiftly, rushing up to meet her, she was glad she'd held out for as long as she had.  It had all been worth it, for these past few days with Eric.  She felt almost honored that she had died trying to save him.

_I did it because I love him._

That was the last thought she had before closing her eyes and preparing for the inevitable.  And then there was a faraway-sounding shout of alarm, and someone crying her name.  A familiar voice shouted an English word, and Meilin felt a rush of energy shoot through her blood.  It was like no other sensation she'd ever felt before, but it swept away all traces of dizzines and fatigue, erasing the aches of her disastrous fight as effectively as a week of rest.

Her eyes snapped open and she decided that she was not quite ready to die yet, not when she still had a chance of surviving.  It did not really occur to her to wonder why she still had a chance of survival.  Instead she angled her body to glide laterally across the ground that had nearly killed her, and reached for the stars to begin the climb.  Up, up until she perched on the beam from which she had fallen.

Her hair and the white wings on her back ruffled slightly with the breeze.

_I flew._

It seemed so impossible, so miraculous, that it was difficult to think anything more than that, even though she knew it had happened because she still had a job to do, still someone to save.  For now, all she could do was reach out and stroke the silky softness of the feathers, to feel their precious texture.  One loose feather came off at her delicate touch, and she fondled it between her fingertips as if it were a sacred jewel.  

The wings glowed a faint blue, then disappeared.  They had served their purpose.  Now it was her turn.  Looking up, she saw that everyone else was still staring at her, every bit as stunned as she was.

Eric thought she must be an angel.  She had died, and come back to save him as a beautiful winged angel.  Or she had been an angel all along and kept it a secret from him, as his chosen divine protector.  At that moment, someone could have told him that she was God incarnate on this earth and he would have believed it.  But all that mattered was that she was here, and that she was not gone forever after all.  She was not going to let him die.

Jing Kun was, for the first time in over a hundred years, shocked into immobility.  He'd known from the very start that Meilin was special, that she was exciting and had the potential to save him from his boredom.  But he'd never suspected anything like this.  She had overcome even death, sprouting wings and returning to finish this.  He wondered if she had been sent to punish him for all the murders he'd committed in his life, if she was the agent of some vengeful god above.  In his heart, he almost welcomed it. 

Silently he watched her cross the floor with long and confident strides, then reach back and strike him across the face so hard that he hit the ground.

"Let's do it again," she said clearly and coldly, brazenly turning her back on the others to face just Jing Kun.  The blow hurt, but it also cleared his head of any superstitious and fatalistic thoughts.  She was no spirit; the sharp crack of her hand on his face was real, and tangible as any person.  She could hit, and she could be hit.

He coughed and pushed himself up to a standing position, fists raised.  Somehow, the knowledge that their leader still intended to fight galvanized the others into action as well, shaking them out of their stupor.  Ling gathered himself with a war cry and leapt for Meilin, preparing to knock her down with a high jump side kick.  She turned her head and watched him soar through the air towards her, but did not flinch or even move to defend herself.  Very calmly, she watched as a great golden beast slammed into him and tackled him to the ground.  Dazed, Ling opened his eyes to find himself staring into the blazing eyes of a lion.  The lion growled, displaying sharp teeth.  And Ling screamed.

That, it seemed to Eric, was the cue for absolute chaos to erupt on the quiet construction site.  The lion looked up from his prey and snarled, then crouched and leapt for the others, his wings – his wings? – folded flat against his back as he bounded past Eric.  Terrified, they all scattered, screaming bloody murder as they tried to escape his pounces.  Peng was closest to the lift and sprinted for it, forgetting in his panic that to leave Eric was certain death.  But he skidded to a stop when he found himself facing a young Japanese woman, eyeing him coolly and pointing a crossbow at his chest.  

"Back," she ordered in accented Cantonese.  "Or I shoot."

"There's a monster!"

"I know.  And he has not played much video games this week, so he very much wants to see blood tonight."

Imperfect though her Chinese was, the meaning of her words was crystal clear, and Peng raised his hands in surrender.

"Sakura!  This is so much fun!" Kero shouted in delight, roaring and pouncing on another.  "It's about time we saw some action in this city!"

"Watch out, Kero-chan," she warned.  One of them had found an axe in its safety case and lunged at Kero, swinging.  Kero just barked with laughter and exhaled, dousing Deng in flames.  Deng screamed and tried to roll across the ground, beating out the fire as Kero loped to his next victim.  

Jing Kun was vaguely aware that some new faces had invited themselves to the party, and that from the sound of it, the Dragons weren't doing so well.  But there wasn't anything he could do about it, not right now.  Meilin launched into another side kick, making it a double to get both his groin and solar plexus.  He grunted and stumbled back, just managing to avoid the brunt of the attack.  

"You think you can make your plans to use me, try to predict me and control my actions?  You think I'll submit and take direction from someone like you?"

She spun on one foot and planted a back kick on his chest, pushing him right back as he gasped for breath.

"You've been immortal too long, Jing Kun, you got arrogant.  I've _never_ fit into anyone's plans.  And nobody tells me what to do, not anymore."

Just in time he dropped and rolled under her kick, keeping out of range.  His hand fell on something and he sprang to his feet, swiping at her head with the heavy iron pipe.  She ducked and grabbed her own, straightening just in time to block his blow.  The metal clang carried across the floor to Hu, forgotten and crouching not too far from Eric.  The girl with the glowing blue arrows and the flying lion had cornered the others against the opposite edge, but their hands were full.  For the moment, he was free, and the sacrificial knife was still lying where Jing Kun had dropped it.

Eagerly he scrambled for it and stood to face Eric.

"Looks like I get you all to myself," he sneered, and jammed his foot down on Eric's to prevent him from kicking.  No need to bother with the slow-bleed wrist cuts, not when he was in a hurry.  All he had to do was cut the neck and drink as much gushing blood as he could before making his getaway.  He raised the knife, then froze at the feel of cold metal bracing itself under his jaw.

"Drop the knife."

Someone else had come to the American's rescue.  Where were they all coming from?

"Who _are_ you people?"

Li twisted the sword just slightly, to rub the sharp edge into the other's flesh.  

"You chose the wrong girl to pick a fight with," he answered grimly.  "Now drop the knife."

Hardly daring to breathe, Eric watched Hu pull his hands away and into a position of surrender, then let go of the knife.

"Key," Li prompted.  "Where is it?"

"I've got it," Hu replied cautiously.  "Let me just -"  He dropped his left hand to his pocket, and Li put more pressure on the sword.

"Slowly," he reminded the other, and Hu nodded.  Very, very slowly, he began to turn around to face Li, searching for the key in his left pocket.  He was almost there when his right arm touched Li's sword and shoved it aside, aiming for Li's eye with the key in his left hand.

Li reacted instantly, bringing up his right arm to block the stab.  So close, the sword was limited in its effectiveness, but that was just the sharp end.  Twirling it expertly in his left hand, he jerked upwards and popped Hu in the chin with its heavy gilded hilt.  His eyes rolled back in his head, and just for good measure, Li dropped to the ground and swept him off his feet.  The key ring went flying up in the air and, still acting on the adrenaline of the fight, Li stabbed at it.

It all happened so fast that Eric never had a chance to flinch, but there was the key, dangling on the tip of the sword, just an inch or two away from his nose.  

For a long moment, the two stared at each other, Li breathing heavily while Eric tried to remember how.  Those brown eyes were still bristling with hostility, and Eric wondered for a moment if he was inclined to finish the job.  Then, reluctantly, Li straightened and sheathed his sword, holding up the key.

"Um, thanks?" Eric tried diffidently.  The brunette scowled and opened his mouth to say something when they both heard a female gasp of pain, carrying easily across the floor.

_Meilin_, they both thought, and Li shot one last withering look in the Eric's direction before dropping the key into one of his hands.  And then he was off, racing toward the pair dueling by the edge.  

"Thanks," Eric said again, a little wryly.  He had the stupid key, but it was going to be next to impossible to unlock himself.  The padlock swung below the beam by his waist, mocking him with its closeness.  At his feet, Hu groaned slightly and Eric kicked him in the head.  The girl and her lion friend were fairly busy on the far side of the floor; he was on his own for this.  Grunting and squirming, he twisted his arms to reach.

On the far end of the floor, a forest of vertical steel beams rose up from the cement, precursors to the office walls that were to be constructed.  Equipment was littered everywhere, hard to see in the thicker darkness.  Meilin and Jing Kun could not be bothered to care, too swept up in the fight.  One pipe collided against the other in the repetitive staccato of combat.

Slash, block, slash, block.  Swipe, downward strike, block, block, block.  Clang.  Clang.  Jing Kun managed to trap her weapon against a crossbeam for a moment, and struck her on the side of the head.  It was so hard that she banged into the beam next to her, but she didn't pause for a second before sliding down and away and swiveling around the beam to catch him in the back of his head with her heel.  He grunted and stumbled forward, and she planted a side kick in the small of his back.

"This is everything you wanted, Jing Kun," she gasped.  "Alone, private, the two of us at our best.  So why aren't you smiling anymore?  Not happy with the way things are going?"

"You don't stand a chance of winning," he snapped.  "You've got fifteen years training against my one hundred and fifty.  I beat you once tonight, I'll do it again."

"You won't."  Warily they circled one another in the darkness.  It was becoming so much more difficult to see him, and Meilin smiled grimly to herself.  "I won't let you.  You had the advantage before, you had your friends and I was dizzy.  But now they can't help you, and I feel fine.  And I can take you."

He replied with a battle yell, skipping forward into a high kick, faking to her head before catching her in the ribs.  She gritted her teeth, but managed a parting shot of her own before darting back.  Unfortunately, in the gloom she couldn't quite see well enough and tripped over a sack of cement.  She fell so hard that she couldn't quite help the loud gasp of pain, and her weapon flew out of her hand.  Jing Kun lunged to strike, but she was quick enough to pull her legs up and brace her feet against his chest.  Grunting with the effort, she pushed upward and sent him crashing into the bricks behind her.  

Li heard the crash, though he couldn't quite see what had happened, and hurried through the obstacle course of construction gear.  Then there was another sound, a dull thud like something heavy being thrown against a beam.  

Meilin hit the ground and rolled, nearly catching another missile as Jing Kun hurled bricks.  He must have been getting a little desperate, and the thought bouyed her.  

"Where are you?" he snarled.  "Get back here and fight, you little bitch!"

Li heard him and almost cried out her name, then clapped a hand over his mouth.  Calling out to her would only distract Meilin, and could get her hurt.  Anxiously he scanned the area, but could see no sign of her anywhere.  The one she had been fighting was some ways ahead of him, but had not spotted Li in his fixation on Meilin.  Warily Li drew his sword out of the back scabbard.  It was a safe bet the other man wouldn't see him in time.  He could run fast, and impale him before he had a chance to react.

Eric was beginning to get a little light-headed, upside down like this, but he was almost there.  At last he'd hit upon the idea of balancing on his stomach over the beam and pushing the padlock toward his hands with his knees.  It was impossible to see anything now and he was getting dizzy, but finally the key found its slot and slid in.

Yes!  There was a satisfying click as he turned it, and the padlock popped open.  He clawed the tangled chains apart, feeling them loosen around his arms, and in his eagerness, forgot his precarious position.  With the final tug, he lost his balance and tumbled to the floor in a heap.  Fortunately, Hu broke some of his fall, but it still smarted a little.  Cautiously he stood and tried to rub some of the feeling back into his arms.  On the far side of the building, a girl yelled.

Meilin!  Eric took off at a run.

Neither of them saw it coming, and Li jumped with surprise when Meilin swung down from the rafters above with a feral battle cry.  He'd never heard her make noise when sparring before.  But Meilin couldn't help herself.  Swinging through the air had a more exhilirating feel than ever now, and before her feet even connected to the back of Jing Kun's head she knew that she was going to win, knew that she was going to triumph.  

And so she kicked him clear across the floor, releasing her hold to somersault and land easily on her feet.  Casually she flipped her long black hair over her shoulder before striding up to her shaken opponent.  He'd barely looked up before she kicked him solidly in the chin, knocking him back again.  

Li heard the crack and hurried forward, promptly tripping over a coil of cable and hitting the ground with a grunt.

"Forget all the training," Meilin said loudly.  "Forget your experience.  I'll win because I have one thing you don't – something worth fighting for."

Eric scrambled over a pile of bricks and rushed toward the sound of her voice.  What was going on?  He could hear her talking but he couldn't see a thing.

It was almost time.  She kneed him in the solar plexus, making him gasp for air, then grabbed him by his hair and rammed his face into the nearest beam.  And when he was thoroughly stunned, she pinned his arm behind his back and pressed him against a horizontal crossbeam.  They were facing west now, and she wanted to be sure he had a good view.  

"Have to drink the blood by moonset, huh?"  It had been getting more difficult to see because the full moon was almost completely out of sight behind the mountains.  With his fanatical devotion to the fight, he'd lost track of the time – but she hadn't.  Helplessly he watched the last silver edge gleam over the ridge.  Meilin jerked his head back to whisper in his ear.

"Time to say goodnight."

The moonlight disappeared completely, and Jing Kun shook slightly in her arms.  She felt a twinge of worry, but before she could let go and step back, the ancient and proud warrior burst into ash.  Lying unconscious on the concrete, Hu did the same.  And before Sakura and Kero's astonished eyes, all four of their restless captives exploded.  Like tiny blizzards the fine gray dust sifted to the floor, before the cool breeze scattered them.  

Meilin shuddered, then promptly coughed as she almost inhaled part of Jing Kun's body.  Hastily she backed away from the spot and started brushing the ash off her clothing. 

I did it.  I- I won!  I held my own against a man with every advantage of magic and power, and _I beat him_.  

At that moment, Meilin felt something more than pride.  It went deeper than that, more humbling, somehow.  No matter what, for the rest of her life, she would always have this.  She would never consider herself stupid or worthless again.  She was a champion.

Li and Eric watched her smile in a secretive way, then look up and gaze at the stars.  Both hung back, afraid to say anything or approach her.  She seemed busy with her own thoughts, for the moment, not inclined to company.  But then she turned her head and saw them, and there was such relief and happiness in her eyes that Li almost melted.  He'd been scared stiff there, for a little while he'd been sure she was done for, but she was all right.  She'd won, and she was safe.  He sheathed his sword again and held out his arms as she came running – 

Running right into Eric's waiting arms.  He laughed as he picked her up and whirled her around, and she shrieked joyfully.

"You did it!  I knew you could do it, I told you!  You are the best!"

This time she didn't bother to deny it, but giggled uncontrollably.  And then she was sliding back down to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself close.  For the first time, she sought his lips, and Eric thrilled at the soft touch.  Forgetting their surroundings, overjoyed to be alive and her alive too, he let her capture his mouth.  And they kissed.

And kissed.

And kissed.

Finally a slight tug on his sleeve tore Li's aghast stare from the passionate couple, and he turned to see Sakura smiling sympathetically.    

"Will I suffice?" she asked quietly, and opened up her arms.  She was trying so hard, and he could not deny her.  Li relented and hugged her, happy that his cousin was safe, relieved that it was over, even if he wasn't entirely sure what 'it' had been in the first place.  It was Sakura that had figured everything out and dragged him here, just in time, apparently.  She'd done everything.  He was so lucky to have her in his life, and he squeezed her again gratefully.  

When Kero coughed impatiently, both couples pulled apart.  Meilin looked not at Li, but at Sakura, almost tearing up again in gratitude.

"I didn't know you could use the Fly Card on other people."

Sakura gave a tiny shrug.

"Neither did I, until twenty minutes ago.  But I'm so glad you're safe, Meilin."

"So am I.  Arigatou," she added.  "Arigatou gozaimas."

Eric felt her clutch at him a little more tightly, and wondered what language they were speaking in.  It didn't sound like Chinese, though it was hard to tell.  The other man was silent still, and Eric had the prickly feeling that he was staring at him.  He kept his gaze riveted on Meilin, just to be safe.  

"Meilin?  How about it?  Are you ready to come home?"

Meilin shivered at Sakura's gentle invitation, risking a glance at Li's face.  He was glaring at Eric, but flicked a glance in her direction at the question.  Even in the near darkness, it was easy for her to read his expression, and those eyes were full of troubled hurt.  Even after everything that had happened tonight, there were still some things to resolve.

But she wasn't tempted to run away again, not tonight.  She had won, and she had proved herself to everyone.  At last, at long last, she was ready to face him.

"Hai.  I'm ready to come home with you."

---------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters


	12. ch12 letting go

Chapter 12 

**'letting go'**

"And did you see the look on their faces?" Kero hooted.  "You'd think they'd never seen a magical beast before!  I made that one guy scream like a little girl!"

Meilin cleared her throat, and he shrugged guiltily.

"Well, you know what I mean."

"I do.  You were really wonderful, Kero-chan.  I couldn't have done it without you."

Sakura's head jerked up, startled.  She'd never heard Meilin call Kero that before.  But there was something in her tone that just made it natural, and she was smiling indulgently at Kero as he waxed triumphant about his attacks.  Kero noticed the change too, and twitched his tail a little as he floated closer to Meilin.

"Yeah, well.  I couldn't exactly let 'em get to you.  Nobody picks on the brat but me."

Meilin only laughed softly, and leaned in close to the little creature to drop a kiss on his nose.

"Arigatou."

Sakura smiled at the scene, then returned her attention to the symbol on Eric's back.  They had regrouped on the back porch of Syaoran's home to have a little space while she tried to work her magic, and for a little privacy.  Though it was wonderful to have Meilin there, safe at last, Syaoran had still not spoken a word to her.  He was perched on the porch rail a little ways away from the others, sulking silently.  Meilin had sensed his mood right away and obliged him by not attempting to address him, and so far they had exchanged nothing more than furtive glances.

It was awkward, but Sakura had to concentrate on other things just then.  Change, Power, Light…  And Meilin did say his blood was glowing.  

"So if he's been infused with a magical light, for the Dragons to feed off," she mused out loud, "then we just have to counteract that light.  Right?"

Kero shrugged again.

"Sounds good to me."

"Please be careful, Sakura."

"I will," she assured Meilin, and selected the Change and Dark Cards.  "Hold still now," she directed Eric, who gulped.  This world of magic was new to him, still, and he wasn't exactly wild about participating in yet another magical ritual.  Meilin noticed his expression and took his hand in hers.

"It'll be all right; she's the best.  She won't let anything hurt you."

"Oh, I'm not scared.  Why would I be?  Just because I was almost sliced open tonight because there's a bunch of magic running around in my blood, that's no reason to be nervous that someone else is mucking with my body.  Not at all.  In fact -"

Meilin leaned forward and brought her lips to his, effectively silencing him with a surprise kiss.  Eric was so taken aback that he momentarily forgot his apprehension, and responded warmly.  Syaoran choked and gasped simultaneously, then glared determinedly away, out over the city.  Kero snickered.

Fortunately, Eric and Meilin were too occupied to notice anything else, and it was only after several long moments that Meilin pulled away.  

"Done," Sakura announced cheerfully.  

"What?  Already?"  Sakura nodded with satisfaction.

"It was easy.  The light in your blood was unnatural, not normal to you.  It was easy to negate it with Dark.  Erase has taken away the symbol on your back."

"So… I'm back to normal?"

"No more magic," Sakura affirmed, and Eric exhaled in relief as he began to button his shirt on again.

"Best news I've heard all day."  

She and Meilin exchanged unreadable looks when he said that, but before anybody could speak again the door opened.  An older woman glided through with a tray and five teacups, arranged neatly around the pot.  She said nothing when she set the tray down, and Eric wondered if she was the maid.  But then she leaned over and kissed Meilin on the top of her head, and he saw how Meilin's eyes grew misty.  Before he could ask, the woman turned to him.  

"You are most welcome in this house."

Syaoran uttered a kind of rebellious noise in his throat, but elected to remain quiet when she glanced in his direction.

"Thanks," Eric said lamely, wishing he knew a better way to respond.  It didn't seem to bother her any.  She bowed elegantly and swept back inside, leaving the others speechless for a moment.  

"She said that to me too, first."  Sakura dropped into the wicker chair opposite his and beamed.  "She must like you."

"Great."  Eric eyed her curiously.  Now that the worry of his glowing blood had been removed, this girl's eyes were almost sparkling with excitement.  It seemed that she was thrilled to finally be speaking with him.  "Um…"

"Oh, gomen nesai!  How rude of me."  She giggled, and made a slight bow from her sitting position.  "Kinomoto Sakura-san."

It was too fast, too much to take in.  Eric shook his head and leaned in closer.  Sensing his need for simplicity, and remembering western tradition with names, she scaled it back.  

"Sakura."

"Sa-ku-ra," Eric repeated clumsily.  "Sa-kura."  She giggled again.  The American had an odd way of pronouncing her name, so that the middle syllable was emphasized.  She could hardly recognize it as her own name, but it was obvious that he was trying.  He tapped his chest.  "Eric."

"Eh-ric."  She was extremely pretty, he couldn't help but notice, and making such an effort to be kind.  It was hard to believe that she was Meilin's best friend; he couldn't imagine anyone more different.  But it was clear from the way Meilin was looking at her that she was pretty special, and therefore Sakura was special to Eric too.  Unthinkingly he extended his hand.

"Pleased to meet you."  She looked surprised, then smiled and put her hand in his.  Her grip was a lot stronger than she looked, and he sensed some real power behind her pretty smile.  Maybe she and Meilin weren't so different after all.

"And this is Kero-chan."

The little flying bear flashed a grin in Eric's direction.

"Kon-ana-chiwa," he said brightly.  It sounded like a friendly-enough greeting to Eric, who leaned forward in fascination.  

"Keh-ro-chan.  Hi.  Did I see you make fire back there?"

Kero sniffed proudly, and held up a paw.  A tiny flame sparked into existence and held, further proof, as if any were needed, of this magic that everyone else was so accustomed to.  

"You mean like this?"

"Exactly like that."  By some kind of miracle, throughout all the night's pandemonium, he hadn't lost the spare cigarette in his shirt pocket.  He fished it out, and held it up to Kero's small fire.  A deep breath, and then he contentedly exhaled a puff of smoke.  "Thank you."

Kero looked startled, but Sakura just laughed again, and so did Meilin.  Syaoran grunted and slid off the railing with a loud thump, making them all look up.

"He _smokes_," Syaoran muttered disdainfully.  "Perfect."

Eric inhaled again, feeling more relaxed with each breath.  

"Silent Bob speaks."  He blew some smoke in Syaoran's direction, never breaking the brunette's scornful stare.  "Yeah.  I smoke."

"Drink?"

"Only when I need it," Eric answered glibly, and Syaoran's eyes smoldered.  Sakura and Meilin exchanged anxious looks.

"How about drugs, do any drugs?"

"Nah, not anymore."

"Not anymore," Syaoran repeated carefully.  "And you're how old?"

"Twenty one…"

"Twenty one!" Syaoran yelped, his voice a little higher-pitched than he'd intended.  Kero smothered a snort.  Sakura cleared her throat. 

"I know, why don't we calm down and have a cup of Yelan-san's tea?  It will be nice and relaxing -"

"You go around picking up teenage girls in foreign cities often?" Li inquired icily.  Sakura's hand trembled a little as she poured a cup for Eric, who winced.

"Actually, about that.  See, I didn't know -"

"And not content with that, you get mixed up with a lot of dark magic -"

"Hey, I didn't want -"

"- and become the reason my cousin nearly got killed tonight."

Eric cringed at the blunt words as he tried a sip of the tea Sakura handed him, then promptly spat it out.

"Cousin?  _Cousin?"_

Sakura shot a surprised look at Meilin.

"Didn't you tell him anything?"  The Chinese girl ducked her head.

"I may have skipped a few details."

"Cousin?" Eric repeated in disbelief.  They were getting off topic, and Syaoran snarled.

"Ah, hello?  Am I the only one that is concerned at all about the danger he put Meilin in?"

"Yeah," Eric agreed casually, deciding to file away that cousin thing for later.  "Remember how I held that gun to your head, forced you to come along?"

He winked slyly in her direction, and Meilin couldn't stop the quick giggle.  It was so like something Eric would say.  Syaoran glowered.

"She's only sixteen!" he barked.  "She can't make that kind of decision, she's not old enough!"

"Actually -" Sakura tried to say, but this time it was Eric that cut her off.

"Well, I say she _could_, and she _did_.  Maybe your problem is that you don't know what she's capable of."

Syaoran crossed the distance between them in about one second, causing everyone to jump to their feet.  Trapped between the chair behind him and Syaoran in front of him, Eric leaned back slightly as the younger man stabbed an emphatic finger at his chest.

"Don't you try and tell _me_ anything about Meilin, don't you _dare_.  You don't know _anything about her."_

"I know she doesn't burst into tears when she sees me out on the street," Eric shot back without missing a beat.  Syaoran actually pulled back at that, and for a second there was a flash of hesitation in his eyes.  Then it was gone, and only the righteous anger remained.

"She is my cousin!  I have always looked after her!"

"And what a _bang_-up job you've been doing with that, too," Eric commented sarcastically.  

For a second there Sakura was sure that Syaoran was going to hit Eric right in the face.  She could see that Meilin thought so too, and both girls stiffened.  But then, with timing that couldn't have been more perfect from Eric's point of view, Yelan opened the door and leaned out.

"Excuse me, Sakura, phone."

Syaoran contented himself with a low growl, pushing himself away from Eric to pace, and muttering "baka" under his breath.

"Oh yeah, what does that mean?" Eric asked appealingly of Kero, who couldn't seem to stop snickering.

"Things are falling apart out here," Sakura hissed in desperation, but Syaoran's mother only smiled and handed her the phone.

"These things must work out, Sakura.  It will be all right."  She was back in the house before Sakura could reply, and absentmindendly she raised the phone to her ear.

"Hai?"

A burst of frantic scolding made her wince, and she held the phone away from her ear.

"Onii-chan, gomen nesai, I meant to call earlier but I got distracted."

"You put her in danger of her life," Syaoran said again, his tone indicative of a barely-controlled fury.

"I asked her!  She chose to stay with me; she _chose_ to run away."

"I said I was sorry!  We kind of had a big night tonight; turns out Meilin wasn't kidnapped -"  Sakura broke off, confusion all over her face.  "Yes, the American is still with her.  How did you know-  what's so funny?"

Meilin wished she could cover her ears, block out all the noise.  Everyone seemed to be screaming about her, but no one was even looking at her.  In front of her Syaoran and Eric were nose to nose and trading vicious glares.

"She's only sixteen, she can't just decide to up and leave!  She didn't know what she was doing!"

"Syaoran -"

"She was old enough to handle herself against our attackers."

"Against your attackers!  She put her life on the line for you, she almost got killed because of you!"

"Syaoran -"

"She wanted to do it; she agreed to do it!  And she was good at it!

"That doesn't change anything!" Syaoran shouted hysterically, and impatiently jerked his arm away when Meilin tugged on it.

"Syaoran -"

"Shut _up_, I'm not talking to you!"

Meilin's eyes flashed and she snatched his collar.  Eric winced in sympathy.

"You are now."

And before he could do anything to extricate himself, Meilin twisted and threw them both over the railing and into the garden.  It was so fast that Eric flinched.

"Holy sh -"

"All right!" Kero cheered, and zipped closer to get a better view.  Sakura winced.

"Ooh, I was afraid of this.  I have to go, Onii-chan."

She hung up before he could protest and crossed the porch to stand by Eric's side.  Shocked, he was watching Meilin put Syaoran in a headlock while Kero hooted encouragement to her.

"Shouldn't we try to stop them?" he asked worriedly.  Sakura watched as Syaoran wriggled out of the hold and flipped Meilin over his shoulder, and the two Lis rolled across the flowerbeds.

"I'm certainly not getting in the middle of that," she said dryly.  "Are you?"  Eric hastily shook his head, and she smiled.  "It'll be okay.  This is something they've needed to do for a while now."

"Which one is better?"

"You know, I'm not really sure."  Sakura shrugged and took his hand in hers, leading him back to the porch chairs.  "Why don't we talk as long as they're busy?"

"Okay…"

There didn't really seem to be anything else to do.  They were shouting at one another in Cantonese again, and he couldn't understand it anyway.  The little teddy bear thing was flying in circles overhead and shouting for joy.

"I've been dreaming of this moment for years!  Kid vs Brat!  Wai!"

Eric retrieved his still-burning cigarette from the impromptu ash tray of a teacup saucer, and inhaled gratefully.  

"What did she tell you?"

"Not much.  Her parents hate her, and she loves him."  He nodded his head towards the two combatants.  "Has her whole life.  And he doesn't love her back."  

He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the girl afresh.

"Is he with you?"

She nodded, almost guiltily.

"A few years now."

"She called you her best friend."

Sakura blushed a little at that, and squeezed her hands together between her knees.

"Oh.  Yes, I guess I am.  And that should tell you all you need to know about her life."

"Huh."  Eric sat back in his chair and glanced at Meilin again.  Here was a girl who was so alone that the girl who had stolen her love was her best friend in the whole world.  He'd known a while now, but Sakura's statement suddenly put everything in perspective.  Meilin was a scarred survivor of emotional trauma that he probably couldn't even begin to understand.

"Am I in over my head?"

Sakura didn't answer right away, taking a sip of tea and considering the question.  

"I've often wondered what kind of man Meilin would find," she said thoughtfully.  "Or rather, what kind of man would find Meilin.  I assumed he would be a warrior like Syaoran, someone strong who was a fighter.  But then I saw you at the restaurant tonight, and I knew that she'd done well.  She's so strong, stronger than any of us ever suspected.  She doesn't need someone for that.  She needs someone who can make her smile.  Do you do that for her, Eric-san?"

The way she cocked her head and smiled at him, he could tell she already knew the answer.  He chuckled and stubbed out his cigarette.

"I can see why she likes you," he said instead.  "You care about her a lot, huh?"

Sakura nodded and drew her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on one as she gazed absentmindendly into the garden.  In the ambiguous light of the porch lamps, Meilin and Syaoran were still locked in combat.

**

It was not a far distance, and the soft earth of the flowerbeds was comparatively forgiving.  Even so, Syaoran grunted in pain when he crashed to the ground.  Before he could recover, Meilin was rolling across the surface to pin him with a chokehold.

"You want to yell at someone, you yell at me," she snapped.  "He's not the one you're angry with!"

"That is where you are seriously mistaken," Syaoran assured her, and dropped his weight to pull her over his shoulder.  She slammed down heavily atop his mother's carefully tended violets.  "Your precious gwei lo is a degenerate, Meilin!  Twenty-one!  He picked up a teenager and took you away from your family!"

"There was no 'taking' of any kind."  She scrabbled out of his attempted arm lock, and managed to twist his wrist into a vulnerable position.  "I left, Syaoran, I chose to go.  And you know it!"

"He used you, Meilin, you just don't understand it!  I know he took advantage of you, I know how guys think!  Just tell me what he did to you!"

Meilin groaned impatiently and tipped Syaoran back against the flowers, pressing his wrist toward his elbow and making him squirm.

"You sure you want to know, Syaoran?  You want to hear how he took me to dinner, held my hand?  How he gave me such wonderful massages when I was tired?  And tickled me to the ground?  And do you want to hear about his kisses?"

"Stop!  Stop!" Syaoran begged, kicking fruitlessly against the ground.

"We spent last night in the same bed!" 

"Aaah!"  In a spurt of desperation Syaoran braced his foot against her shoulder and pushed her well away, then jumped to his feet with murderous designs on the blonde foreigner.  He didn't even reach the railing before she'd tackled him again, though, laying him flat out on the dirt.

"I said," she gritted, "that we're talking.  Be angry at me!  He didn't make me do anything; I left !  _I ran away_!"

At last Syaoran could hold back no longer and exploded.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?"  

He twisted and pushed with his hips, throwing her to the side and immediately trapping her shoulder into an armlock.  "HOW could you just leave me behind like that?  I was out of my mind with worry!"

"You left me behind once!"

"That was different!"  Meilin rolled away from the pressure he was exerting on her joints and tried pull him into her own armlock, but he slithered clear just in time.  

"How so?  You had something you needed to do, you had your destiny.  Why can't I have mine?"

"Ooh, good one," Kero chimed in, and Syaoran snarled as he threw himself at Meilin again.

"You're a teenage girl with no magic!  Do you have any idea how much danger you were in?  Think how you could have gotten hurt!"

"Of course I knew the danger!  What, do you think I'm stupid?  That I had no idea what I was getting into?"

At last Syaoran managed to roll Meilin onto her stomach and pinned her there with one arm behind her back.

"You had no idea what those men were about, don't you try to tell me anything different!"

"Fine," she admitted grudgingly.  "I didn't know what they were after or who they were.  But I still understood the danger, I knew I could be hurt.  It was a choice that I made!"

"Why?" he begged.  "Why would you put yourself into a situation like that, what- were you trying to prove something?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."  There was a sharp pain on his ear, and Syaoran lost his grip long enough for her to roll clear.  

"Ouch!"  He rubbed it and glaring at the wickedly grinning Kero.  "You stay out of this, you stupid stuffed animal!"

"Come on, I'm having too much for the fight to be over already!"

"Arigatou," Meilin panted, grappling Syaoran to the ground.  "But I can handle things from now on."

"Like you handled falling off a skyscraper?" Syaoran growled into the dirt.  Meilin tightened her hold.

"Like I said, I understood the danger.  I knew that I might get killed!  Do you know what I was doing, the night when I met Eric?  Every day I would go out on a walk just to get away from my parents.  And when it was dark I would stop walking and just stand there in the street, and _force_ myself to go back.  It got harder and harder every night.  And then I saved Eric, and he_ thanked me!  He bought me dinner, taught me how to play pool, and he __smiled at me."_

"So what's your point?  You left me to go crazy with worry for a smile and a pair of blue eyes?"

"No.  I would have left no matter what.  But I fought for him because he was the first person to ever look at me like I was worth something without you!  That's why I promised to protect him.  It was worth the danger!"

She pushed herself off him with a groan of frustration, and knelt by the edge of the garden pond.  Syaoran rubbed his aching arm and watched her peer at her shadowy reflection in the starlit water.  Kero's shoulders slumped in disappointment; the fight was over far too soon for his taste.

"So, you hid - and you ran - from me, because it was so important that you risk your life for that?"

"It was special for me."  She raked her hair back from her face and let out a weary sigh.  "_He_ is special to me."

Syaoran crawled on his hands and knees to Meilin's side, close enough to touch.

"I was afraid of that."

"What?"

"Meilin," he began delicately, "please try to understand.  He's twenty-one.  He's… from another world.  And maybe he needed you to protect him, but that's over now and he is going to go back to that world."

She stared at him, uncomprehendingly at first, then recognition of his words filtered through.  Even in the half-light from the porch lamps he could see the change in her eyes; the shift from stubborn pride to acute vulnerability.

"Oh…"

"Shh, I know."  Tenderly he reached up to stroke a lock of her glossy hair.  "It's going to be all right.  You only knew him for a few days.  It's better this way, before he can do anything to hurt you.  You know that's all I care about.  I just don't want to see you hurt."

Meilin raised her hand to cover his.  Those hands that had always been there to protect her, shield her, train with her, do everything for her except love her the way she had wanted.  

Hardly even stopping to think about it, she grasped Syaoran's hand firmly and twisted his wrist, yanking him right off his knees and spilling him with a splash into the lily pond.  He didn't even have time to yelp before he went right under, and Kero erupted in cheers and whistles.  As far as he was concerned, Meilin had ended the fight perfectly, and he didn't bother to look up when she jumped to her feet and dashed away.  Instead he hovered upside down to smirk at the shocked and spluttering Syaoran.

"I guess that answers that question, huh?"

A handful of water splashed in his face was his only reply.

**

Sipping tea and introducing himself to some girl on the phone called Tomoyo, Eric heard the splash as well as Sakura.  Both looked up in time to see Meilin sprint past the porch, ignoring them, and both heard her stifled sob as she began to scramble up the rainpipe.

"I think that's my cue," he ventured, and pushed the phone back in Sakura's hand before hastily vacating the porch.  He was obviously more agile than he looked, and Sakura listened to the scuffing sounds of his shoes fade away as he climbed.  He'd hardly left when Syaoran came stomping back to the porch steps, soaked through and not looking happy about it.

"Where'd she go?" he demanded.

"Roof."

He cast a suspicious eye over the porch, not liking Sakura's solitude.

"Where's the gwei lo?"

"Roof."

"Alone?" Syaoran wailed.  "Together?"

He bolted toward the rainpipe, but before he could lay a hand on it Sakura spoke again.

"Syaoran.  You are dripping wet.  Soaked to the bone."

"What about it?"

"If, say, a sudden freeze was to come up, you would be iced solid."

Syaoran was suddenly rigidly still.

"You wouldn't."  Still holding a hand over the mouthpiece of the phone, his sorceress girlfriend cocked her head and raised her eyebrows.

"You don't think so?  Now go change into something dry while I catch Tomoyo up.  And Kero-chan, stay with him."

"But -"  Sakura shot him one of her rare don't-argue-with-me looks, and he found himself subsiding again.  There didn't seem to be any other option but to retreat into the house, tailed by a snickering stuffed animal.  And so he stormed through the back door, muttering under his breath all the while.  "Everybody in this whole house is fawning all over that stupid American…"

Sakura waited until he was gone before resuming her conversation with Tomoyo.

"He's jealous."

"Oh yeah."

**

It was all going to end.  Of course, she should have known it, she should have been smarter than this.  Heaven knew she'd learned her lesson the last time.  But no, she had been weak, and she'd given in to the feelings, and now it was all going to end.  Everybody always left eventually.  Meilin hugged her knees to her chest as she looked out over the panorama with glazed eyes.  Some scuffling and a masculine grunt told her that she had been followed, and dully she waited for Syaoran to finish the argument.

But it wasn't Syaoran, it was Eric.  Her heart gave a little lift at the sight of him, then wrenched again when she remembered.  Hastily she returned her gaze to the city.  

Balancing carefully on the roof tiles, he climbed up to join her and sat without speaking.  It would be just like her, he thought wryly, to seek refuge in a place like this.  High up, against the stars, on top of the world.  She was at home like this.  Below them, Hong Kong nestled against the reflective waters of the harbor like a swarm of fireflies.

"What do you know," he finally said, breaking the silence.  "The view _is really something from up here.  But I guess you already knew that, huh?"_

She said nothing, but nodded.  She was still not looking at him, and he wondered what that cousin of hers had said to her.  And more importantly, what he was supposed to say that would fix it.  She was so unreadable.  A guy like him would never be able to fully understand her; could never hope to guess her problems and offer just the right comforting words.

So Eric decided to skip all that and just say what was on his mind.

"Do you know what I was thinking, when they had me chained up in that building, and I thought I was about to die?"

Meilin tensed slightly, but didn't turn to face him.  Eric rested his arms on his knees and continued.

"I was thinking that I hope this doesn't hurt too much.  I hope that Meilin catches these guys, and kicks their asses from here to Hawaii."

That got a slight smile out of her, and Eric felt encouraged.

"I hope that she does all right, once I'm gone.  I hope that she finds her way to whatever it was she wanted to do, and that she doesn't force herself to go back to her family, back to being the worthless girl that they mistakenly think she is.  I hope she understands how strong she is, how much she has to offer the world.  And I hope she realizes that… that I love her."

It would have been impossible to miss her quick intake of breath, and the way she closed her eyes and lifted her chin slightly, like she was savoring the moment.  

"I'll never in a million years," he went on, "forget that moment that you landed on the beam.  With those white wings flapping in the breeze and everything.  When I saw you standing there and looking at us, I knew you were going to win.  I could see how unstoppable you are.  How invincible."

"I can't- do that on my own," she reminded him, speaking at last.  "That was Sakura's magic."

"Doesn't matter," he insisted.  He couldn't help himself, his fingers found her hair and combed through her long tresses.  Lightly he tickled them down the length of her back.  "I can still see them; I know you've got them on the inside.  You can do anything that you want now.  If you wanted to, you could fly away to a whole new country."

"What?" she whispered.  Eric swallowed, then summoned his courage.  It was now or never.

"Sakura briefed me downstairs.  All your friends are in Japan, and you're not going back to your parents, that's for sure.  So, if you wanted to, you could come to California.  With me.  And have a new beginning."

Finally, Meilin turned her head to face him.  Shock and surprise was all over her face, but beyond that Eric couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"You want me to go to America with you?" she repeated slowly.  "Leave Hong Kong?"

"Well, yeah.  I know this is huge, what I'm asking, but I love you and I'm not big on long distance relationships.  I want you to be with me.  I want to take you to concerts and play hackey sack on the beach with you, I want to teach you to surf and introduce you to all my friends back home.  And I really think this could be good for you, I think -"

"Don't think," Meilin said roughly, interrupting his stream of babble.  "Just shut up and let me say that I love you."

Identical tears squeezed out of the corners of her eyes.  Stunned, Eric watched them trickle down her cheeks.

"I was scared to say it before but I do and I will go anywhere on this planet to stay with you.  I love you."

She was crying, but she looked so happy.  She'd said them, she'd said the words that she had been so afraid to admit before.  After so long, this beautiful girl had found someone to love and love her back.  Eric felt lucky that she'd found him.

And then neither of them were really thinking about anything at all, except embracing each other in the kiss.

**

"Absolutely not," were the first words out of Syaoran's mouth when they announced their intentions.

Meilin squeezed Eric's hand a little and gave her cousin a cool look.

"You realize that I am not asking your permission."

Syaoran ground his teeth a little and pointed threateningly in her direction.

"I can stop you," he promised.

"It would take everything you've got and then some."

"You are way too young to move to a completely different country!"

"You were ten when you moved to Japan!"

"That was different!"

"How so?"

"Well, for starters, I had a chaperone.  Not to mention some kind of income!  I mean," he appealed in a more reasonable tone, "come on.  How do you expect to live?"

Eric cleared his throat.

"Actually, I have a ten million dollar trust fund."

Sakura accidentally squealed out loud, then clapped a hand over her mouth when Syaoran shot her a glare.

"You are not helping," he informed her coldly, then returned his attention to his cousin.  He didn't see Sakura clasp her hands over her chest and mouth "_wow" at Meilin._

"Syaoran," Meilin tried again, fighting a smile.  "I have to go back with him.  I want to go with him.  It's time for me to start my own life, instead of sitting on the sidelines for you.  I think I could be happy in America.  Don't… you want me to be happy?"

_And maybe, if you cared about her at all, you might even be happy for her._

Unbidden, Touya's words sprang into his mind, and Syaoran raked his fingers through his hair trying to will them away.  It wasn't fair, it was too far, she was too young, she shouldn't be putting him through this already!

But in truth he knew that she would always be too young, that he would never be ready for this step.  Because she was his little sister, was his only little sister, and had been ever since that day he found and returned her pet bird.  He liked being her protector, he liked keeping her safe from harm.  Yet now she wanted to be free of what little he could offer, live on her own and independent from him.  She could be hurt badly.  She could experience pain.  How could he relinquish control in the face of risk like that?

But Touya had done the same for Sakura.  Could he do no less than Touya?

He didn't know when, but he must have said yes, because then Meilin flew into his arms with a grateful hug.  Laughing and crying at the same time, she squeezed him and pushed her head up underneath his chin, as she had done so often in their past.  But this time she wasn't attacking him out of desperation, or begging for his attention.  She was hugging him as an equal, a sister and partner who understood the sacrifice that he'd just made.

"Thank you," she whispered in Cantonese.  "Love you."

"Love you too."

---------------------------------------------------

After such a grueling night, Eric slept long and late into the morning.  When the eastern sun rose high enough to shine directly through the windows and onto his face, his eyes fluttered open to stare at an unfamiliar ceiling.  It was unnaturally quiet; he could hear birds chirping instead of the usual car horns that roused him from his hostel beds.

He rolled over to look out the window and that was when he remembered everything from the night before.  The panic of nearly being killed, then the rush of wonder when Meilin had arrived, and sprouted a pair of wings on top of that.  Then meeting everybody, and kissing Meilin on the roof.

"That's right!" he said aloud, and sat straight up in bed.  Meilin had agreed to go home with him, and they were doing it today.  Not that Hong Kong hadn't been interesting, but the weary foreigner was ready to go home, back where things were safe and normal.  He was ready to pick up his life and start anew, as long as Meilin was with him.

With a goofy grin all over his face, Eric splashed his face with water and tried to comb his messy blonde hair with his fingers.  He was wearing some really soft and expensive looking Chinese silk pajamas, which he could barely remember changing into.  They had all been pretty exhausted when they retired to bed.  He could only recall that Meilin was sleeping with Sakura in her guest room, and that Syaoran had insisted he (Eric) sleep in the room next to his (Syaoran's) which was all the way down the hall.  It didn't matter; they were leaving today, and then he and Meilin would be sharing his apartment.  And that was one other piece of pleasant news he'd learned the night before, from Sakura.  It was Meilin's birthday, and she was now seventeen.  And seventeen was of legal age in California.

Full of anticipation, Eric opened his bedroom door to find himself facing Syaoran.  There was a grim look of determination in those brown eyes that made the blonde gulp, and he opened his mouth to call for help.

"Mei -"

Syaoran clapped a hand over his mouth and pushed him back inside the room, pinning him against the wall.

"Quiet," he ordered, "and I won't hurt you."

"Mmf."

"Though I am tempted," Syaoran admitted.  Eric struggled harder at that, but the damn kid had him in another of those unbreakable holds.  If he was never attacked again by expert martial artists, it would still be too soon for Eric.  

"I know you'll be taking my cousin away from me today, and I won't get another chance to tell you this.  So shut up and listen.  Are you listening?"

"Mmf."

"Good.  You saw my sword last night, and you saw that I am very, very good with it.  If you ever, _ever make her cry – as much as I did…"_

Eric's eyebrows went up at that.

"Then I will kill you.  You will _not_ see me coming.  Do you understand me?"

He relaxed his hold on Eric's mouth just enough for him to nod, and then he smiled in a humorless sort of way. 

"Excellent."

At the far end of the hall, Sakura and Meilin were blissfully ignorant of the interaction between Syaoran and Eric.  Instead Sakura was handing a small carryon bag to Meilin.

"Courtesy of the Move and Through Cards.  When I snuck into your house the day after we arrived, I just sort of had a feeling that I should take these.  I got all your photos, the letters, the money you were saving, and the passport.  There are two first class tickets in there from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, too.  Yelan-san gave them to me; don't ask me how she got them."

Meilin's eyes were brimming over with tears as she accepted the gift.  It was so like Sakura to be this thoughtful.

"I'm going to miss you so much."

"Hey, you'll come back to visit.  I know you will."  Sakura was starting to get a little teary herself, and wiped her eyes.  "But this is something you just have to do."

Meilin nodded.  They both knew it, it felt right, but that didn't make it any easier.  It was never easy to say goodbye to true friends.

"Arigatou.  Thanks for coming to Hong Kong, thanks for being my friend, thank you so much for last night.  It was the most wonderful moment of my life."

"Well, now you'll have the chance to make a lot more.  You never have to go back to the birdcage again."

**

Time seemed to speed up after that.  They all ate, and then Sakura and Eric returned to the hotel so he could pay the bill and collect his things.  It wasn't long before they were all standing in the house driveway, next to the waiting family limo.

"Are you sure you don't want to come to the airport with us?"

Sakura shook her head, knowing Syaoran's feelings.

"It would be just as hard to say goodby there as here."

"I suppose you're right."  Sniffling a little, Meilin clutched at Kero in a tight hug.  He thanked her for the terrific action the night before, which almost made her giggle.  Then her aunt, who embraced her silently and only kissed her on the top of her head.  Then Sakura, who whispered "good luck" in her ear before she pulled away and turned to Syaoran.

"Thank you."

"I didn't do anything," he muttered noncommittally.  Meilin squeezed him tightly and buried her face in his shoulder.

"You made a choice to accept him.  I would have been miserable if you hadn't."

Syaoran hadn't exactly accepted Eric, and both men knew it.  But the agreement between them was enough.  At the very least, she was happy.

He tried to speak, then found that the words were sticking in his throat. 

_What's the matter?_

Meilin hugged her old love goodbye one last time, and then Eric ushered her gently into the backseat before getting in himself.  The car shifted gears and began rolling away toward the gates.  Just as he had done three years previously, the window rolled down and Meilin leaned out to blow him one final kiss.  

_The bird.  It flew away… it was a gift from my aunt, too.  I loved it!_

And then the limo turned out of the gates and disappeared, taking her with it.  Sakura's arms were around his waist, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"You gonna be okay?"

_Don't cry._

"She h-has to lead her own life," he choked.  "It's not m-my job to protect her anymore; she doesn't n-need me."

_I'll find it._

"Sh-she's strong enough on her own.  I b-believe in her.  She'll be all right."

_He opened his hands to reveal a small, rain-soaked bird._

"You are a good man, Li Syaoran," Sakura whispered.  "And I love you."

_She gasped and threw herself into his arms, crying._

She hugged him close, and felt a few tears drop onto the top of her head.

"I love you too."

_This feels kinda nice.  I'll never let her go._

But he had.  For better or for worse, Meilin was flying free.

THE END

-----------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters


	13. epilogue

**'epilogue'**

Ring… ring…

What an annoying, disruptive noise the phone could make at times.  Eric did his best to block it out, concentrating on planting tiny little kisses up Meilin's neck.  That always made her giggle uncontrollably, and she did not disappoint, laughing and half-heartedly resisting as he pushed her up against the couch cushions and covered her mouth with his.

She responded with enthusiasm, arching her back as his hands moved down her chest and prepared to remove her shirt.

Ring… ring…

He paused to take a breath, and she spoke.

"I really think you should get that."

"No way.  It can't be that important."

"But it's been ringing for five minutes now.  What if it is?"

Eric looked from his girlfriend to the phone, then admitted defeat and leaned over the couch's back to snatch it from the wallset.

"Hello?"

"Stop waxing your surfboard, gwei lo, and let me speak to my cousin."

Eric gritted his teeth, then forced a fake cheerfulness into his voice.

"Li, buddy!"

Maybe it had been five years since the two had first met, but Syaoran had suggested to Eric, rather coldly, that he just stick to calling him Li.  That was fine with Eric, it was simpler anyway.  Meilin perked up and reached for the phone, but Eric leaned back out of her reach.

"Hang on a sec, she's putting her shirt back on."

Li choked a little, and Eric snickered.  Meilin rolled her eyes and grabbed the phone before he could torture her cousin anymore.

"Eric, I told you not to do that!  You know how much he hates it."

"Why do you think I do it?"  Eric shot her a wicked grin before rolling off her and retreating into the kitchen.  

"Syaoran?"

"I wish you wouldn't let him answer the phone!"

"Gomen ne, Syaoran.  But thank you for returning my message."

"Sakura said it was important.  What's up?"

"Well, here's the thing."  Meilin twirled the phone cord nervously between her fingers.  This was not going to be easy.  "I'm in a little trouble, and I need your help."

"You what?"  Instantly Syaoran was on full alert, and he clutched at the phone tightly.  "Is it him?  Did he hurt you?  I'll kill him!"

"Iie, baka.  Eric and I are just fine."

Pouring himself a coke in the kitchen, Eric heard her and smiled.  Oh yes.  More fine than even she knew.

"So what?  What's the problem?"

"Well, it's like this."  Meilin took the glass Eric offered her and sipped her drink.  "I'm starting another project in a few weeks, and I want you to be a part of it."

"Me?  Be a part of it?  What are you talking about?"

"It's going to be a fantasy, action/adventure type story and… well, there's going to be a lot of swordfight scenes.  And my agent thinks that I should keep all my combat scenes pure of special effects."

"So what does he know?  Stupid gwei lo."

"I do wish you'd stop calling Eric that, Syaoran.  He's a great manager."  She winked at Eric, who grinned as he took one of her feet and began to rub it tenderly.  She closed her eyes in delight.

"We want you to come out here and be the stunt double for the chief villain."

"You want what?" Syaoran repeated in disbelief.

"C'mon, you're perfect for the job!  Think how much fun it will be."

"Fun?"  He covered the mouthpiece as Sakura walked into the room.  "You will not believe what my crazy cousin is trying to get me to do -"

"Go work on her new movie?  Yes, she told me about it.  I think it's a great idea."

"Ambushed," Syaoran declared bitterly, and both girls laughed.  "Well, forget it.  No way.  Think how much time it would take!"

"Hai, you'd probably have to come stay with us for three to four months.  Maybe even longer.  But it's okay, we just bought a great new house, up on the hills.  There's plenty of room."

"Four months or more," he relayed to Sakura.  "There is no way I'm spending that much time apart from you."

"No, it's okay, Sakura can come too.  And Kero-chan.  Eric is looking forward to a rematch on the Playstation.  And Tomoyo, if she can.  She'll be in camera heaven."

Li scowled.

"What about my classes, Sakura?  I was going to take your father's archaeology course this spring, remember?"

"You can take a break from college for one semester, Syaoran, it won't kill you.  How many people get an opportunity to work on a blockbuster movie?"

"I wouldn't know," he remarked sarcastically.  "I'm not Hollywood's new 'Chinese Sweetheart'."

Meilin blushed a little.  Eric loved it when she blushed.

"I didn't come up with that.  And hey, it's better than 'brat', right?"

"Hmpf."

"Come on, Syaoran," Meilin wheedled, turning on all the charm she could muster.  "This is important to me.  My first movie.  Don't you want to be there for me?"

"First?  Please.  What about that Jet Li movie?"

"I was a villain, and it was just that one scene.  I got killed!"

"And that Bond movie?"

"Well, yeah I was the heroine, but that doesn't count.  Eric says nobody pays attention to Bond girls.  And all those movies I stunt doubled in don't count either.  This is the first time that I get to be the star and it's _really_ important.  I want you to be there, Syaoran.  I need you to be there with me, so I can do this.  Please?  Please?"

Syaoran ground his teeth.  It wasn't that he didn't want to help Meilin, but the thought of spending so much time living in the same house as that- that gwei lo, who would be smirking and putting his hands all over Meilin just to prove he could do it… it was more than he could stomach.  And besides, if her parents found out that he was off to spend several months with her, they wouldn't leave him alone about trying to convince her to call.  Ever since her fame had spread worldwide they had been pleading for forgiveness, asking her to come home for reconciliation.

Meilin had told them both to get lost.  And he wasn't inclined to help them out one little bit.

"Syaoran?  Pleeeeeease?"

"It won't work, Meilin.  Crying into the phone is not going to convince me."

"Maybe.  But combined with Sakura's eyes, which she should be working right about now…"

Sakura hopped on his lap, right on cue, and bit her lip.  Already her eyes were glassy, and brimming with hope.

"But I- I don't want -"  Sakura and Meilin both sniffled at the same time, and he knew it was over.  They'd never leave him alone if he refused now.  "Fine," he groaned.  "I'll cancel my classes.  When do you want us?"

"Oh thank you, Syaoran!  Arigatou gozaimas, thank you so much!  This is going to be so much fun, you'll see!  We're scheduled to start shooting in April, so anytime before that is great.  Just let us know when your flight is."

"Hai, hai," he grunted.

"I love you!"

"I love you too."

She hung up, glowing, and attacked Eric with a hug.  

"It's a go!  They're coming before April, and he'll help me with the movie!"

"Oof.  I guessed."  Sometimes she forgot how strong she was, and Eric had to disentangle himself from her arms.  His friends always asked if he didn't think it was weird he dated a girl that could easily kick his ass, but he loved it.  He loved having a girlfriend that was so strong and so capable of defending herself.  It was an inextricable part of the girl that he cherished.

"Now, remember what we talked about," she lectured.  "This is your chance to really bond with Syaoran, while we're all together under one roof.  I want you two to become friendly."

"No problem, baby, I promise.  We'll bond like there's no tomorrow.  We'll go golfing."  Eric pictured him and Li, alone out on some golf course, with all those heavy clubs.  "Maybe we'll stick to chess."

"Whatever.  Just so long as you try."  She kissed him with an air of satisfaction.  "This is going to be the best movie yet."

Yes, it was, though she didn't know it.  It was all part of the secret plan, the plan that he had worked out with Sakura and Tomoyo over the phone.  In one of the scenes where she fought masked ninjas, he was going to disguise himself as one.  Before she could deliver the final blow, he'd pull off the mask and offer her the ring, right there on tape and in front of everybody.  Eric loved a good surprise, and this was going to be classic.  Li would blow a fuse, of course, but Sakura would be there to keep him from interfering.  Meilin wasn't even twenty-two yet, but it had been long enough now for him to know that things between them would never change.  It was real, and it was time to make it formal.  It was time to marry this girl.

"Eric?  You're staring at me again.  What is it?"  

"Was I?" he asked innocently, mentally kicking himself.  It was so easy to slip into daydreams when she was near; he would have to watch himself.  

"Yes."  She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, which was really his fault.  He was the one that had taught her to never trust a politician, even if he was just a lowly city councilman.  "I was just thinking about how much I love you," he said sweetly and not untruthfully.

"Oh."  She relaxed.  "Well I love you too."

They kissed again, and again, and it was with supreme reluctance that Eric pulled away.

"Don't I know it.  Now I think it's time to feed the birds.  We better go take care of 'em."

"Hai!"  She skipped from the room, and Eric allowed himself one more mysterious smile.  

Oh yes.  She had no idea, and it was going to be great.  

His little bird was in for the surprise of her life.

--------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I do not own these characters

Tomoyo: And yes, this is truly the end.  Newbies might have mistakenly stopped reading after chapter 11, but Peacewish's veteran fans know that it's never truly over 'til we've had the discussion.  Or 'rant' as some people might choose to call it.

Li:  Gee, I wonder why.

Sakura: So where is she, anyway?

Tomoyo: Still outside, screaming obscenities about the IRS.  Writing this story kinda got her worked up.  So she left her notes with me to host the discussion, since I had such a small part in the story.

Li: So that's what that noise is.

Peacewish:  - and do you know how much those #$&%ing  @$%*& took from me last year!  TWO &*$%# THOUSAND DOLLARS!  Do you have any idea how much – mmff!

Tomoyo:  Touya-kun, I thought you said you had her under control!

Touya: Gomen, gomen.  I got it!  (claps hand over Peacewish's mouth and drags her back outside with Yukito's help)

Tomoyo:  Right, thank you.  Now let's all welcome the new guy, Eric Masters.

All:  Hi, Eric.

Eric:  Hi, everyone.

Tomoyo:  According to her notes, Eric and Todd were two friends of Peacewish back in high school.  Very sweet, goofy guys that were great to hang out with and totally cute besides.  Peacewish, like TamChronin, apparently feels that an American is just right for Meilin.  She isn't exactly sure why.

Eric:  Not that I'm arguing.

Li:  Speak for yourself.

Tomoyo:  The vast family fortune, however, is invented, and the politics are a blatant projection of Peacewish's own personal feelings.

All: Shocking.

Peacewish:  Are you talking about the politics?  Don't talk about the politics without me!  I want to- mmf!

Tomoyo:  Thank you, Touya-kun.  So welcome, Eric.  Peacewish was pleased to see that you were a very popular original character, according to the reviews.  In fact, you had considerably more support than Li Syaoran.

Li:  WHAT?

Eric:  Haha.

Tomoyo:  Sorry, Li-kun, but the numbers don't lie.  While the readers were very enthusiastic about the chemistry between Meilin and Eric, they were less than complimentary about your actions.  "Yay, Syaoran-bashing!" I believe, was the term most frequently used.  In fact, even Jing Kun rated more positive reviews than you did.

Li:  Why does everybody hate ME so much?  I'm not the one with the cancer-forming addiction.

Eric:  Now don't you start!  As a matter of fact, Peacewish has never smoked and does not encourage any of her readers to indulge in this unhealthy and expensive habit.  But she does hate those government sponsored (tax dollar funded) anti-smoking commercials that insult everyone's intelligence.  This was just her way of getting back at them.  Frankly, I think she has got some kind of smoking fetish, because she made Eriol and Touya do it too, a couple of times.

Meilin:  But it's okay, because with Eric it's cute.  And he was very polite about always smoking outdoors when we were together.

Li:  Ooh, very polite.  Big deal.  He's not the one that was trying to keep you from getting killed!

Meilin: Which was very sweet, Syaoran darling.  But also kind of cheauvanistic.  You see, Peacewish was always a little annoyed by the way you kept ordering me around in the series, so she decided to get back at you this way.  The Song Card episode, in particular, bothered her.  This story became my chance to fight on my own, and I kicked some serious butt!  It was all rah, rah, take back the night!

Sakura:  Yeah!  Even I came off looking better than usual, figuring things out and arriving in the nick of time to save Meilin!  Someone actually portrayed me as smart for once!  

Tomoyo:  You always look smart to me, Sakura.  (bats eyes)

Sakura:  It almost makes up for looking like such a clueless ditz in Behind the Camera.

Tomoyo:  (clears throat)  Anyway, the point is, this is about more than Meilin just finding a new love.  This was about asserting herself, and learning to have confidence in herself.  

Meilin:  It was hard, I'll admit it.  But it was worth it.  No longer am I a downtrodden character in fanfics!  Oh, the joy!  And I got to be a famous movie star, too.  Did anyone ever have it so good?

Eric:  God I love it when you look so happy.  You wanna continue this in the closet?

Li:  Over my dead body!

Meilin:  Okay!

Tomoyo:  Sit down, Li, no one's excused just yet.  Buckle up and brace yourselves because it's time to talk about the – 

Peacewish:  &%$#*& politics!!!!  It's half the reason I wrote this &*%$# story and I demand to be a part of this discussion.

All:  Touya!

Touya:  She overpowered me; I'm injured.  Help!

Yukito:  Ouch.  I thought she was in love with you.

Touya:  Apparently not as much as the politics.

Peacewish:  You're half right, my darling, half right.  Because it's not that I love it, it's that I LOATHE those horrible politicians.  And I HATE the IRS.  A few of my readers have asked what the IRS is; all I can say is that such innocence should never be spoiled.  Suffice to say it's a horrible government agency that feels entitled to every cent that I own, and believe me when I promise you that it's not much to begin with.  How DARE you, IRS?  How DARE you take my money for no good reason at all!  You filthy, rotten, stinking thieves!

Tomoyo:  (sigh)  The Everlasting Dragons cult was the embodiment of Peacewish's distaste for the IRS/communism in this story.  You see –

Peacewish:  Hush!  I wanna say it!  You see, they were jerks that felt entitled to killing and stealing the life-forces of others so that they could continue to live.  It was a sacrifice of the individual to feed the group.  Collectivist thinking!  Very unhealthy.

Tomoyo:  I was going to say that.

Peacewish:  All the Chinese names assigned to the gang members were high-ranking Communist Party Committee members.  All except Jing Kun himself, whose name was chosen randomly from a website because it sounded cool.  I considered calling him Mao Tse-dong, but I figured that would probably be too obvious.

Li:  Peacewish?  Too obvious?  Never!

Peacewish:  My characters expressed their distaste for the communist paradigm in two important scenes.  First the Cloud City-type offer that Jing Kun made to Meilin, offering her a chance at magic and power.  She refused because she remembered Eric's comments about taking ice cream from one to give to another.  (If you would like to read more on that subject, please refer to a wonderfully brilliant writer by the name of Frederic Bastiat, Essays on Political Economy.  He's the best that ever put this theory into words).  Then there was the chat between Eric and Jing Kun at the skyscraper, where Eric made it very clear that no matter how much Jing Kun felt he deserved to take Eric's life, he still had no right to it.  I was very proud of those conversations, but a little disappointed that nobody mentioned them.  (sigh)

Tomoyo:  Don't fret, Peacewish.  Everybody still liked the story overall.

Peacewish:  Really?

Tomoyo:  Oh yes.  At the time of this posting, Lotus Reborn has already elicited 122 reviews, making it your second-most reviewed story ever.  Apparently there was a positive market reaction to a fic starring Meilin.  Either that, or it was for a story that promoted capitalism.

Meilin:  I'm guessing it wasn't the capitalism.

Eric:  Hey, a man can dream.  And to Ongaku, Sara, Funki-Mage, and Sakura Rain: thank you for your positive comments after the ice cream dialogue in chapter 6.  I will be coming around to your houses shortly to give you a great big kiss.

Meilin:  What?

Li:  WHAT?

Eric:  Nothing!  I didn't say anything, I swear!

Meilin: Good.

Li:  And it better stay that way.

Eric:  Gulp.

Sakura:  Welcome to our world, Eric.  Good luck.

Peacewish:  Okay, I think I'm a little calmer now.  I feel better.  And even though I know some of you darling readers out there do not agree with my radical politics, you still take the time to let me know that you like the story, and I appreciate that.  Lotus Reborn was one of the more complex and difficult stories that I have tackled, mostly because its slick action-oriented feel made it more suitable for a movie than a narrative.  

Meilin:  Think how much fun it would have been to choreograph those fights!

Peacewish:  Tell me about it.  As Sara astutely observed, I do have a black belt of my own, and I like being able to write realistic combat scenes in my stories.  Makes it sound cooler.  Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with it, and I'm glad it went over so well.  It was nice to have something to work on when the Cato Institute unceremoniously FIRED me last Monday.  It was unwarranted, and unjust, and I am totally a victim of office politics here.  And damn it, there's more politics!

Tomoyo:  Uh-oh.

Touya:  Uh-oh.

Yukito:  Uh-oh.

Peacewish:  No good can ever come from that word!  And do you know what the best part is?  Do you?

Li:  Um…

Peacewish:  Even though I am now unemployed, come April 15 I am STILL GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THOSE &*%$# TAXES!!!!!  I ask you, how much sense does that make?  How can it be fair that I have to pay income taxes when I don't have an income?

Tomoyo:  Well-

Peacewish:  It's NOT fair! That's the answer!  I'm poor and unemployed and the government is going to take my money anyway!  WAAAAHHHHH!!!!

Touya:  I thought you said you'd calmed down.

Peacewish:  Sorry, sorry.  Thinking about it gets me a little worked up.  (deep breath)  Okay.  Let me assure my faithful readers that this is not a disaster.  I was getting a little bored with the job anyway, especially since the building supervisor and I weren't getting along.  And I do hate living in DC.  It's all about politics here, and I am sick to death of that.  So I'm going to get all my stuff together, and move back to Texas, where I left my heart.  At least there I won't freeze to death, and I'll have all my friends to help me out.  I'll figure out what I'm going to do eventually.  Meanwhile, I think it's probably best if I take a break from writing fanfics and try to sort out my priorities.

Haha.  That was, of course, a joke.  No matter what, I'll always have time for my writing.  Speaking of which, Sakura Rain, what am I?  A machine?  You didn't even let me finish this story before asking about the next!

Sakura:  But that's okay, because…

Peacewish:  Because, yes, I do already know what I want to do.  Previously in this section I threw out several different ideas for what story to begin working on; as anyone can see I settled on Wildflower, the AU scifi fic posted back in June.  Everything else I've talked about hasn't exactly been discarded permanently, just put on the back burner for some while.  Things are busy, so try not to hate me too much.  Reality calls, and a girl has to have her priorities.  Even a rabid fangirl like me.

Touya:  It's bizarre… she sounds almost healthy.

Li:  It'll pass.

Peacewish:  So get on to reading Wildflower, if you haven't already, and leave lots of reviews!  The kind I like best are the ones that discuss the politics in my stories.  Specifically, why the IRS/communism/big government in general are horrible entities and deserve to die horrible deaths.

Li:  See?

Peacewish:  The quest continues.  So in spite of my unemployment, I carry on bravely, with no one but my loyal cast to stand by my side…

Touya:  Huh?  Didja say something?

Peacewish:  I think it's about time you got tortured again.  Let me work on that.

Touya:  Aah!  Get away from me, you sick twisted writer!  What did I ever do to you, anyway?

Peacewish:  Oh, don't be like that, Touya sweetie.  Know that it's not you, it's my evil supervisor that I'm lashing out against when I write this story.  I'm just venting.

Touya:  That doesn't make me feel any better, for some reason.

Peacewish:  You'll get some more Yuki scenes…

Touya:  I'm going to die.  I just know it.

Peacewish:  Silly Touya!  I would never do that to you!  Unless maybe my unemployment money doesn't come through.

Touya: Gulp.

Peacewish:  So that's the status, everyone, what I am and am not working on and what you can expect from me in the near future.  And please, don't worry about me.  I'll be all right. The important thing is that I get back home to Austin and figure out what I want to do in life.  I'm young, I'm healthy, I can do anything if I want to.  It's going to take more than losing a job to get me down.  As long as I have access to a keyboard and computer, I'll be all right.

Domo arigatou to you all, I will see you next time.

Peace.


End file.
